“You may not see the light at end of the tunnel at this very moment but things will get better and you just have to have faith. Don’t lose faith. Stay strong and don’t be afraid to reach out for help.â€
~ Katherine Alejandrez, Housing Care Coordinator
To kickoff National Health Center Week 2022, we want to shine a light on one of our newer services within our Substance Use Program, made possible with funding through the State Opioid Response (SOR) Housing grant, here at Family First Health. National Health Center Week runs from August 7th through the 13th with each day being a different focus day. The different focus days can be found here.
Family First Health has partnered with the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania (FHCCP) to provide the SOR Housing Service. This additional resource is only for those who have a diagnosed Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) with the goal of providing housing and peace of mind for an individual to know where they are going to lay their head at night. Having stability in housing is one way to help individuals with OUD focus on their recovery.
This service gives housing-focused case management to clients. In addition, this service also provides assistance in the following areas:
-Short Term Housing Assistance;
-New Housing Assistance;
-Utility Assistance;
-Emergency Housing Assistance for Rent/Mortgage; and
-Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA).
Our current team at Family First Health consists of two staff members solely dedicated to housing case management and provision of these resources to the clients. The first client to receive services from this team at Family First Health was back in February of 2022. Since then, 134 clients have been deemed eligible for services and are either in the process of receiving approval or have already received housing assistance. While new referrals are currently being added to a wait list, our team is working to connect patients to resources in a timely manner.
In order to be eligible for SOR funded services, the client must meet the following requirements:
-Must have an OUD or stimulant use disorder diagnosis, in any phase of recovery
-Must live in or be willing to relocate to York or Adams County
-Family income must be below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
-Client must be ineligible for other funding that supports housing costs or emergency financial assistance
Family First Health offers comprehensive primary care with integrated behavioral and substance use services. The additional resource of SOR services has helped existing patients and our community members to meet their housing needs while they walk their path to recovery. If you or someone you know needs assistance with opioid use disorder, please reach out to our team at Family First Health.