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Nursing: Strategic Plan

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Nursing: Strategic Plan

Introduction

The "Medically-Supported Street Outreach for Behavioral Health" program is an initiative of NYC Health + Hospitals to respond to the need for behavioral health services among the homeless population in NYC. This program addresses the gap in access to mental health care for individuals experiencing homelessness by delivering personalized services through mobile outreach teams. The vision is to create a fully integrated health system that extends dignity and well-being to all New Yorkers, irrespective of their housing status or ability to pay. This paper explains this program’s strategic directions, i.e., enhancing community well-being, alleviating strain on emergency services, and strengthening partnerships with community organizations. It also explains its goals, objectives, activities, resources, and timeframe for achieving each goal. The goal is to ensure this initiative's successful implementation and sustainable impact. This will advance the NYC Health + Hospitals' mission of promoting health, welfare, and safety for all residents of NYC.

Enhancing community well-being

The first goal of this strategic direction is "To increase access to behavioral health services for homeless individuals." The objective is implementing a mobile outreach team to reach homeless populations in various locations across NYC. This objective will be achieved by recruiting and training a specialized team of healthcare professionals and outreach workers, equipping them with the necessary supplies and transportation for mobile outreach. The timeframe for achieving this goal involves recruiting and training the outreach team within three months and fully implementing the mobile outreach program within six months. In addition, the resources required for this goal include funding for staff salaries to attract qualified healthcare professionals and outreach workers, transportation to ensure mobility for the outreach team, outreach supplies for delivering essential services and resources, and training programs to prepare staff to address the needs of homeless populations effectively. If the program efficiently allocates resources and adheres to the established timeframe, it will effectively increase access to behavioral health services for homeless individuals. This will enhance the community's well-being.

The second goal of this strategic direction is "To foster community partnerships to support holistic care for homeless individuals." The objective is establishing collaboration agreements with local shelters, community centers, and NGOs. This objective will be achieved by organizing regular meetings with potential partners to discuss collaboration opportunities and mutual goals and developing formal partnership agreements outlining roles and responsibilities. The timeframe for achieving this goal involves initiating initial meetings and agreement drafting within three months and establishing formal partnerships within six months. Moreover, the resources required for this goal include staff time for partnership development, legal support for agreement drafting, and administrative support for coordination. This goal's achievement is based on the fact that by investing in building strong community partnerships, the program will make use of the resources and expertise of local organizations to provide comprehensive support for homeless individuals (Mosley, 2021). This will contribute to the well-being and the health of the community.

Alleviating strain on emergency services

The first goal under this strategic direction is "To reduce the frequency of emergency department visits among homeless individuals with behavioral health needs." The objective is to provide comprehensive case management to facilitate access to ongoing care and support. This objective will be achieved by assigning case managers to program participants to assess needs, coordinate appointments, provide follow-up support, and develop individualized care plans in collaboration with participants and healthcare providers. The timeframe for achieving this goal involves recruiting and training case managers within three months and fully implementing the case management program within six months. Furthermore, the resources required for this goal include funding for case manager salaries to recruit qualified staff, training programs to equip them with essential skills, and administrative support to ensure smooth coordination and communication within the program. This goal will be achieved because the program can empower homeless individuals to access timely and appropriate care by providing comprehensive case management support. This will reduce their reliance on emergency services and improve their health outcomes.

The second goal of this strategic direction is "To improve coordination between emergency services and community-based care providers." The objective is establishing a referral network and communication protocols between program staff and emergency services. This objective will be achieved by developing standardized referral processes for program participants requiring emergency care and conducting training sessions for emergency service providers on the program's objectives and procedures. The resources needed for this goal include staff time for protocol development and training sessions, administrative support for documentation and communication tools. The timeframe for achieving this goal involves establishing the referral network and completing training within three months, with ongoing communication protocols implemented within six months. The rationale for this objective is that improved coordination between emergency services and community-based care providers will facilitate efficient transitions for homeless individuals between emergency care and ongoing support services (Manuel et al., 2022). This will reduce unnecessary emergency department visits and improve continuity of care.

Strengthening partnerships with community organizations

The first goal of this strategic direction is "To expand access to social services and housing support for homeless individuals with behavioral health needs." The objective is to forge partnerships with housing agencies and social service organizations. This objective will be achieved by collaborating with housing agencies to identify housing options and support services for program participants and facilitating referrals and coordination of services to address housing instability. The timeframe for achieving this goal involves establishing partnership agreements within three months and initiating housing referrals and support services within six months. In addition, the resources required for this goal include staff time for partnership development and coordination and administrative support for documentation and referral tracking. Through leveraging partnerships with community organizations, the program will enhance access to critical social services and housing support for homeless individuals. This will address key determinants of health and promote stability and well-being.

The second goal of this strategic direction is "To enhance collaboration with existing outreach programs within the NYC Health + Hospitals network." The objective is integrating services and sharing resources to maximize impact and efficiency. This objective will be achieved by identifying existing outreach programs within the network, assessing opportunities for collaboration, and establishing joint planning committees to coordinate efforts and share best practices. The resources required for this goal include staff time for coordination meetings and administrative support for logistics and documentation. In addition, the timeframe for achieving this goal involves establishing collaboration agreements and initiating joint planning within three months, with ongoing collaboration and resource sharing within six months. Through integrating services and sharing resources, the program will foster collaboration among existing outreach programs (Castillo et al., 2019). This will enhance the effectiveness of services provided to homeless individuals with behavioral health needs. This will improve outcomes and promote community well-being.

Conclusion

The "Medically-Supported Street Outreach for Behavioral Health" program aims to improve the health and well-being of the homeless population in NYC. The needs of this population will be effectively addressed by increasing access to behavioral health services, fostering community partnerships, and enhancing collaboration between emergency services and community-based care providers. In addition, expanding access to social services and housing support and strengthening collaboration within the NYC Health + Hospitals network will help the program promote stability and improve outcomes for homeless individuals with behavioral health needs. Furthermore, investing in comprehensive care and partnerships will help the program advance the mission of promoting health, welfare, and safety for all residents of NYC.

References

Castillo, E. G., Ijadi-Maghsoodi, R., Shadravan, S., Moore, E., Mensah, M. O., Docherty, M., Aguilera Nunez, M. G., Barcelo, N., Goodsmith, N., Halpin, L. E., Morton, I., Mango, J., Montero, A. E., Rahmanian Koushkaki, S., Bromley, E., Chung, B., Jones, F., Gabrielian, S., Gelberg, L., … Wells, K. B. (2019). Community interventions to promote mental health and social equity. Current Psychiatry Reports, 21(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1017-0

Manuel, J. I., Nizza, M., Herman, D. B., Conover, S., Esquivel, L., Yuan, Y., & Susser, E. (2022). Supporting vulnerable people during challenging transitions: A systematic review of Critical Time Intervention. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 50(1), 100–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01224-z

Mosley, J. E. (2021). Cross-sector collaboration to improve homeless services: Addressing capacity, innovation, and equity challenges. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 693(1), 246–263. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716221994464