Street Psychiatry: Creative Care for People Living Unsheltered-View Presentation Slides

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The document is an outline for a webinar titled "Street Psychiatry: Creative Care for People Living Unsheltered," conducted by the American Psychiatric Association. The webinar aims to provide continuing education for professionals in fields like psychiatry, psychology, social work, and nursing. It includes logistical details like how to download handouts, enable captions, and participate in a Q&A session.<br /><br />Dr. Liz Frye, the founder of STREETconsults and vice-chair of the Street Medicine Institute, is leading the session. The webinar focuses on addressing aspects of street psychiatry, the unique challenges those experiencing unsheltered homelessness face, and the disparities in morbidity, mortality, and health care access among this population.<br /><br />The session's learning objectives include understanding the contributors to homelessness, differences in treatment modalities, and the principles of street medicine. Definitions for homelessness-related terms are provided, and the realities of unsheltered homelessness in the U.S. are covered, along with statistics highlighting the increase in unsheltered homelessness from 2015 to 2023.<br /><br />Participants learn about the social determinants of homelessness, growing racial, ethnic, and gender disparities, and structural issues such as affordable housing shortages and inadequate safety nets that contribute to homelessness. Case studies from California and data from Boston highlight the health disparities, including significantly higher mortality rates among unsheltered individuals versus those who are sheltered or part of the general population.<br /><br />Street Medicine is presented as a flexible, community-focused approach distinct from traditional psychiatric care that includes comprehensive integrated treatment, low-barrier access, trauma-informed care, and harm-reduction strategies. The document emphasizes the needs for community involvement, policy changes, and innovative care models to provide equitable healthcare access for people experiencing homelessness. Resources and contact details are provided for further engagement and participation in future educational activities.

Keywords

Street Psychiatry

Unsheltered Homelessness

American Psychiatric Association

Continuing Education

Dr. Liz Frye

Street Medicine

Health Disparities

Trauma-Informed Care

Harm Reduction

Equitable Healthcare