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 HUMNITARIAN 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 14 YEARS. OUR VOLUNTEER TEAMS SCREEN, DIAGNOSE, RECORD AND TREAT THE DISEASE AND ILLNESSES OF OUR CLIENTS, IN THE EARLY STAGES, SO THAT MEDICAL PROBLEMS DO NOT BECOME ACUTE. DWW PROGRAMS ADDRESS THE TIMELY TREATMENT OF THE MEDICAL NEEDS OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY'S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, THE WORKING POOR AND HOMELESS. DWW PLACE-BASED CLINICS ARE ALWAYS ON THE SAME DAY AT THE SAME TIME GIVING OUR CLIENTS A SENSE OF SECURITY IN KNOWING THERE IS A HEALTH CARE LOCATION WHERE THEY CAN FIND THE SERVICES THEY NEED. ALL OF THIS CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR CLIENTS TRUST DWW TO ASSIST THEM IN ACHIEVING HEALTH EQUITY AND FOR INCREASING THE QUALITY OF A HEALTHY LIFE. OUR VOLUNTEER STREET MEDICINE, WOMEN'S CLINIC AND STREET OUTREACH TEAMS ARE COMPRISED OF PHYSICIANS, SCRIBES, PACK LOGISTICS, PHARMACY, VITALS, SOCIAL SERVICES, OUTREACH AND PEACEKEEPER PROFESSIONALS. OUR VOLUNTEER MEDICAL TEAMS SCREEN, DIAGNOSE, RECORD, AND TREAT THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR CLIENTS, IN THE EARLY STAGES, SO THAT MEDICAL PROBLEMS DO NOT BECOME ACUTE. BECAUSE STREET MEDICINE CAN ONLY PROVIDE LIMITED SERVICES, EMPOWERING CLIENTS TO UTILIZE LOCAL RESOURCES IS CRUCIAL TO IMPROVING THEIR HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE. HOWEVER, CLIENTS ARE OFTEN UNABLE TO USE THESE LOCAL RESOURCES DUE TO LOGISTICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS. DWW HELPS CLIENTS OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS. WHEN NEEDED SERVICES ARE BEYOND THOSE PROVIDED BY STREET MEDICINE, DWW DEVELOPS A CARE PLAN AND HELPS CLIENTS NAVIGATE THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BY ACCOMPANYING AND INTRODUCING CLIENTS TO LOCAL MEDICAL HOMES, SPECIALISTS, OR OTHER NEEDED RESOURCES.

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 SINGLE 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 COVID19, 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 MARCH 2021, DWW BEGAN VACCINATING OUR UNSHELTERED AND MARGINALLY SHELTERED HOMELESS POPULATIONS AGAINST COVID19. AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 DWW HAD VACCINATED 53.5% OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY'S HOMELESS POPULATION. DURING THE DWW OUTREACH AND COMPANION CARE MISSIONS, VOLUNTEERS NOTE THE PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS OF A CLIENT'S WELL-BEING, INCLUDING CONVERSATIONS. IF A CLIENT NEEDS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, DWW EITHER REFERS OR CONTACTS, DEPENDING ON THE CLIENT'S LEVEL OF TRUST, OUR PARTNER, BEWELL. THE STRESS OF BEING HOMELESS OFTEN TRIGGERS MENTAL ILLNESSES AND EXACERBATES EXISTING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. OUR PRIORITY IS TO USE OUR CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS TO TREAT LOW ACUITY ILLNESS, AND IF CHRONIC ILLNESS EXISTS, TO USE OUR COMPANION CARE TEAMS TO LIAISON THEM INTO A MEDICAL HOME WHERE THEY CAN RECEIVE OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT.