Description:

Depaul’s Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA) works to reduce unplanned use of health services and missed appointments by people experiencing homelessness. This programme empowers people experiencing homelessness to overcome the barriers to accessing care through the provision of intensively trained HHPAs, all of whom have experience of homelessness. The complex nature of homelessness presents multiple inter-related, physical, personal and systemic barriers to accessing healthcare. This service takes a targeted approach to addressing the systemic and personal barriers faced by this group in accessing health care and facilitating safe discharge, improve attendance rates and health outcomes by supporting clients to better understand their health needs.

As part of the HSE Homeless Hospital Discharge protocol,   this programme  take a participatory and co-production approach to involve peers in:

• Informing the design and ongoing improvement of the Inclusion Health services

• Identifying research priorities and carrying out peer-led research

Dates:  2019

Organisers:  Depaul’s Homeless Health Peer Advocacy (HHPA)

Local engagement: Jess Sears CNM 2, Depaul