Health problems and lack of access to high-quality health care can be significant barriers to stability. Although the HOST program did not offer health services other than clinical mental health care, staff often helped families identify providers and community health resources. HOST case managers built relationships with local clinics and brought families in to access health services.
[The case manager] did things she didn’t have to, to be helpful. She helps people get to the doctors.
Resident, Chicago HOST site
Because the community was invested in the research, we received better data. Because we had better data, we co-designed a better program.
Confronting public health disparities requires more than education and services. It’s about looking at the context in which people live, work, and play.