At Care Alliance, we believe that homelessness
can be combated through healthcare.
Without access to necessary medical and supportive care, it is extremely
difficult to break the cycle of homelessness. Care Alliance bridges the gap
between homelessness and stable housing through healthcare.
Care Alliance Health Center was established in 1985 as one of the original Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Care for the Homeless projects in the nation and in 1993, became an independent nonprofit organization. Today, Care Alliance continues its focus on providing healthcare to those experiencing homelessness in the City of Cleveland as a well-respected and integral member of the local delivery system of safety-net service providers.
The Care Alliance Health Care for the Homeless Program offers primary health care at all three of our locations as well as at outreach locations throughout the City where people who are homeless tend to congregate. Comprehensive dental services are provided at our St. Clair and Stokes Health Centers.
Services provided through our health care for the homeless program include:
- Primary Health Care for All Ages
- Comprehensive Dental Care
- Short-Term Substance Abuse & Mental Health Counseling
- Confidential HIV Testing, Treatment & Counseling
- STD Testing
- Diabetes Clinic
- Well Child Visits
- Immunizations
- Cancer Screenings
- Gynecological Exams
- Health Education
- Outreach to People Living on the Street
- TB Testing
- Case Management
- Podiatry
Individuals experiencing homelessness face many barriers to care including lacking stable housing, transportation, steady income, health insurance and employment. In addition to these barriers, many individuals who are homeless are living with severe mental illness and/or are chemically dependent.
Beyond these barriers, individuals experiencing homelessness are at high risk for contracting or exacerbating serious health conditions as a result of prolonged exposure to severe weather and reduced access to healthcare due to a lack of health insurance of personal identification. As a result of this limited access to health care for a prolonged period of time, individuals are often treated at later stages of disease and have higher mortality and chronic morbidity than individuals with access to consistent health care.
