Implementing a Complex Care Shelter: Opportunities and Lessons Learned
April 17, 2023For years, advocates have pointed to the need for a homeless shelter tailored to adults who are medically fragile, adults living with disabilities, and older adults who need extra support navigating daily life and who tend to get drastically sicker living unhoused. When COVID-19 began and homeless shelters reduced capacity to allow for social distancing, a conversation in Anchorage began among a diverse set of stakeholders about the unmet needs of the medically vulnerable population. Identifying the disparities that this group was experiencing and leveraging their background in partnering with healthcare systems, they recognized they were well-positioned to provide this type of support.
The result was the development of a Complex Care shelter that was designed for people with serious, chronic conditions and mobility issues. The experience confirmed that smaller, specialized shelters and facilities are the best solution for Anchorage’s homeless response system.
Please join Dakota Orm, the Healthcare Integration Director of the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, and David Rittenberg, Senior Director of Adult Homeless Services with Catholic Social Services-Anchorage as they share their journey through the implementation of a complex care shelter.