O.C. Health Care Agency providing outreach and services to DTSA’s homeless

HCA Provides Outreach and Services to Civic Center Homeless Population

By OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett

HCA’s Behavioral Health Services Outreach and Engagement (BHS O&E) Program and Public Health’s Comprehensive Health Assessment Team Homeless (CHAT-H) provide expanded outreach and services to the Civic Center homeless population on Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BHS O&E provide services to homeless and those individuals at risk of homelessness who are dealing with a behavioral health issue. Services are provided throughout Orange County to all ages which include: street outreach, coping skill psychoeducational groups, case management, and wellness screenings. The primary goal of BHS O&E is to link individuals to behavioral health and other supportive services by addressing participant’s barriers to accessing these services. This occurs by building trusting relationships with the homeless community and collaborating with other service providers.

CHAT-H Public Health Nurses are experts in specialized resources to meet socioeconomic and psychosocial needs. Face to face education, support, linkages, and case management are provided for clients who need assistance managing serious health conditions.

The BHS O&E and CHAT-H teams also coordinate services with the Santa Ana Police Department, various community homeless services providers, and other HCA Behavioral Health programs in these efforts.

Referrals to the BHS O&E program can be made by calling the toll-free line at (800) 364-2221. The referral number is in operation Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is staffed by a clinician who screens calls, offers referrals and linkages and assigns the referral to team members to follow-up with a field visit.