The role of public health working with shelters to serve people experiencing homelessness

People experiencing homelessness who use shelters (not necessarily those who are vulnerably housed; specifically looking at shelters). People involved in shelters, either providing or using the service, including staff, medical personnel, volunteers.

Partnerships and relationships between shelter staff or organizations and public health personnel or organizations; Opportunities for partnerships to improve health and public health outcomes. Possible interventions and opportunities for shelter/public health partnerships could include, but are not limited to: • Best practices for providing diagnostics and testing • Identification, prevention, and treatment of infections, including understanding what is done to manage or mitigate an outbreak • Screening for chronic illness, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health • Oral and dental health • Trauma-informed care and screening • Women’s health • Vaccine preventable diseases • Opportunities / missed opportunities for partnerships between shelters and public health • Public health core competencies and how they apply and need to be modified for shelters • Data gathering and usage • Pet/animal companion health, as it relates to mental health support

Shelters; Shelter programs run outside of shelters, e.g., through street outreach Preference given to studies conducted in high-income countries