Doctors Without Walls-Santa Barbara Street Medicine

TO PROVIDE FREE, VOLUNTEER MEDICAL CARE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE, UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, WHEN AND WHERE THEY ARE IN NEED, INCLUDING IN TIMES OF DISASTER, AND TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OTHERS TO PROMOTE THE EXCELLENT PRACTICE OF HUMANITARIAN MEDICINE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY.

DOCTORS WITHOUT WALLS-SANTA BARBARA STREET MEDICINE (DWW) HAS BEEN PROVIDING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FOR 17 YEARS. DWW PROGRAMS ADDRESS THE TIMELY TREATMENT OF THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY'S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THE WORKING POOR AND HOMELESS. OUR VOLUNTEER TEAMS SCREEN, DIAGNOSE, RECORD AND TREAT THE DISEASES AND ILLNESSES OF OUR CLIENTS, IN THE EARLY STAGES, SO THAT MEDICAL PROBLEMS DO NOT BECOME ACUTE. DWW CONDUCTS MEDICAL VAN WEEKLY DAYTIME STREET OUTREACH MISSIONS (7) AND BACKPACK-BASED WALKING EVENING STREET MEDICINE OUTREACH MISSIONS (3). DWW HAS REOPENED THE WEEKLY WOMEN'S FREE HOMELESS CLINIC (WFHC) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRANSITION HOUSE (2 FRIDAYS). IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FRIDAY CLINIC, THE WFHC CONDUCTS MEDICAL OUTREACH.

THE MISSION OF THE WOMEN'S FREE HOMELESS CLINIC (WFHC) IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE, TRUSTING, FEMALE-ONLY ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE UNSHELTERED OR MARGINALLY SHELTERED WOMEN OF SANTA BARBARA CAN ACCESS MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE AND REFERRALS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES. THIS IS ACHIEVED BY A RESEARCH-BASED INTEGRATIVE APPROACH THAT ADDRESSES THEIR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS, WHILE SUPPORTING HEALTH AND FURTHER GROWTH. THE INTEGRATIVE APPROACH INCORPORATES THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES: MEETING IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL NEEDS; BUILDING TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS; COORDINATING CARE WITH OTHER POTENTIAL SERVICE AREAS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND ADDRESSING BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AS THEY PERTAIN TO THE PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL. WFHC CLIENTS WILL SEE A CLINICIAN FOR MEDICAL NEEDS, RECEIVE ACUPUNCTURE, ASSISTANCE WITH APPLYING FOR HOUSING, INSURANCE, OR SCHOOL, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO LAUNDRY, TAKE SHOWERS, ATTEND MENTAL HEALTH GROUPS WITH A MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST, ATTEND SELF-DEFENSE CLASSES, AS WELL AS YOGA.

OUR COMPANION CARE TEAMS PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR CLIENTS IN DEVELOPING CARE PLANS AND HELPING CLIENTS NAVIGATE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BY ACCOMPANYING AND INTRODUCING CLIENTS TO LOCAL MEDICAL HOMES, SPECIALISTS, OR OTHER NEEDED RESOURCES. DURING COVID-19, DWW CONTINUED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES TO THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BY PRACTICING STREET MEDICINE IN ENCAMPMENTS, ABANDONED BUILDINGS, FREEWAY ONRAMPS AND OFFRAMPS AND WHEREVER THEY ARE. OUR COMPANION CARE TEAMS PROVIDED EDUCATION AND MEDICAL SERVICES TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC WHILE STILL PROVIDING THE BEST MEDICAL CARE POSSIBLE FOR UNSHELTERED POPULATIONS. IN APRIL 2023 DWW STARTED OUR ENHANCED CARE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PROVIDING BOTH CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL CARE TO THE UNSHELTERED HOMELESS.