Program assists ailing homeless
Interim services available for post-hospitalization care
Auburn homeless residents who have been hospitalized and discharged won’t have to camp out while recuperating, thanks to a new program. The Placer County Interim Care Program provides services to homeless patients after they are discharged from the hospital. Managed by The Effort, Inc., Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital and Sutter Roseville Medical Center in partnership with the Gathering Inn and Placer County, the program provides a place for homeless patients to recuperate for six weeks and directs them to community organizations that help with issues such as domestic violence, anger management, substance abuse and court justice. “We give them a safe, clean and dry place to recuperate so that they don’t need to worry about their illness,” said Suzi deFosset, executive director of the Gathering Inn, a Roseville-based homeless organization. “It’s difficult to take care of yourself when you’re camping out.” DeFosset said the services are given on a case-by-case basis. If possible, some of the guests, as they are called, are discharged into permanent housing, depending on their situation. “We have a case manager that sits down and talks to them and starts to identify obstacles and solutions to those obstacles so that they are able to leave the program with support,” deFosset said. “We also work with them to set them up for disability insurance and social security.” Auburn resident Steve Chase was enrolled into the program after being hospitalized and discharged from Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento. Chase was hospitalized for the first time two months ago due to atrial fibrillation, or abnormal rhythm of the heart, and for the second time two weeks later for blood clots in his lungs. “It gave me a place where I can get my blood-thinner shots every day, three meals a day, a warm bed, a shower, and I get to do my laundry,” Chase said. “Being out and homeless, it would be very, very difficult (to recover).” Chase, who was homeless for three years, said he wasn’t able to keep his previous job as a concrete finisher when he got two DUIs. “I wrecked my truck and lost everything,” he said. “I just couldn’t go to work and I needed a vehicle to do that.” Chase said the program got him off the streets and away from alcohol. “On the streets, there’s a lot of peer pressure to drink,” he said. “That’s the biggest help for me.” Chase is one of 12 people enrolled in the program. DeFosset said none of them have been readmitted back to the hospital — some have returned to their families and others have gotten jobs. Chase now has his own room at the Gathering Inn and works there as a house parent, who’s in charge of making sure the rooms are prepared for the new guests. The program was based on an earlier Sacramento program and was launched earlier this year. DeFosset said Sutter Auburn Faith and Sutter Roseville hospitals give financial contributions to fund the program. “We’ve realized about a 75 percent return on Sutter’s initial investment,” deFosset said. “This is really about the benefits for the guests more than it is about anything else.” DeFosset said recuperating at the Gathering Inn is not only less expensive than staying at the hospital, but is also a better environment for recovering homeless patients. “It gives more self-actualization to the guest than staying in the hospital because they’re responsible for their own recovery, not nurses or doctors.” Chase said he plans to keep working at the Gathering Inn as long as the program runs. “After that, I’m not really sure. Getting better right now is my main goal,” he said. “It’s been a good program and it’s a free service.”
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Nothing is "free".
Good news. It's so cold outside lately that I'm sure it'd be counterproductive to the wellbeing of an ill person. The Gathering Inn runs a great program.
"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me."
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me."
- Jesus of Nazareth
These programs a just great for trully needy. Too often they explode into giant tv's,spa's and services most self supporting people do not enjoy. And of course if the government is envolved it won't be long until there are three or four government employees for every patient.
This is not negative thinking it is just a fact. Maybe it may have an unusual effect on the patients. They might find out WOW this is great I think I will get off my butt and go to work and get me a roof and a couch of my own. Maybe,could be, ya never know. Must be awful not to have a friend or family ?
If this can help people get off the streets and become productive citizens again, then great.
It's a private service and is a lot more efficient than government programs. Private Charity is to be applauded.
In partnership with Gathering Inn and PLACER COUNTY. But I still hope the County Supes don't see this. There is alway hope right.
It is so AWESOME to read or hear about something possitive and beneficial without the nay sayers stomping on it.
loveandpeace: It's a sad state of affairs that some find it necessary to drag political garbage into an apolitical story. I am always glad to see good news when it shows up. God knows we hear enough dreary news most of the time.
Euripides, More private charity less government control. That's apolitical. If you give $10.00 to the Gathering Inn, they will get $10.00. If you give $10.00 to the government to give the Gathering Inn, they will get a dollar if they are lucky.
loveandpeace: See?
Sorry, Euripides...this IS a political issue. Jon Green said, "Private Charity is to be applauded." I agree. The wealthiest amongst us wouldn't want to touch this project. They wouldn't even want to READ about it. I can just hear their oracle, Rush Limpbrain on this issue. "Let them pull themselves up by their bootstraps! A night in the bushes at 30 degrees will do them good. Severe conditions will kill a lot of bacteria. Kind of like mother nature's chemo-therapy. (Not that I believe in mother nauture.) And it would build character at the same time. Then they can come work for me for 50 cents an hour. Unless someone else will work for 40 cents." Yes, Jon Green, private charity IS to be applauded.
Well I suppose Jon Green is right. More money does go towards charity than government. But the fact is there aren't enough charities to take care of all the needy while the government can. I always hear conservatives, not that I'm against them, say I'll give my money to who I want when I want. Like a charity of their choosing. And it is ironic that conservatives are supposed to be the "moral" ones who follow the Bible and are sometimes "self righteous." But I do believe the New Testament and Jesus talks greatly about helping they neighbor. It seems being conservative is only done when it is beneficial to one's self.
Great job, Suzi ! It's wonderful to see the vision grow! Blessings!
Bill Boudier
Every conservative I know gives money to charity and would give more if the government did not take it first. Not just money but every service club, school, church, etc. receives the benefit of raffle prizes and in-kind donations from largely conservative business persons.
MIkeGruber: "Nothing is free" as it pertains to this article means what? Pease help me with this.
Because we saw how well those "thousand points of light " worked,Jon?
Its not just governments who make money off of charitable donations, you know. Poverty can be big business. Grant writing,admin,event coordinators...this isn't flippin burgers. How many in have we seen skimming off the top in the last several years? I'm just not convinced that the private sector is "it" for our friends in need. I only have one hand clapping.
And by the by, wasn't it a conservative that closed the mental hospitals in this state creating a huge problem that we are still trying to put band-aids on?
Sorry to get political. I'm just hoping that when the King comes, we've done all that we could do for the least of these.
Yes a conservative closed the mental hospitals at the urging of the mental health community who recognized that warehousing the mentally ill in large state hospitals was not helping the patients get well. At the same time legislation was passed to build small community based mental health clinics. When the state started to build the clinics the local communities objected to having "crazy" people live in their communities. So instead of having community mental health clinics these communities got mentally ill homeless folks roaming the streets.
Even today when someone tries to start up a homeless shelter or half way house, the community goes nuts.
The "thousand points of light" worked better than "the great society".
Please everyone reading these comments... just donate some money , time , toys, food or just stop by the Salvation Army church and give a little time and a smile. Love is contagious. The Salvation Army here in Auburn does and tries to do wonderful things for the people in our community .
What an incredible program! Hats off to those that put this together, I will most certainly be donating funds for this charity.
Really, Jon? I'd say the call for civil rights,the formation of VISTA and HeadStart, business start up loans for the poor, Medicare/Medicaid, and the start of consumer protection is a lot more tangible.
Can you give me facts of real results of the "thousand points of light" other than the awards they give or partnering with other organizations?
Oh and from my experience, I remember mental health workers literally crying because they knew the sickest and least able to cope would be left without a support system.
Folks like you probably advocated against the langley-porter clinics. What has been the outcome of the great society? Trillions of taxpayer dollars and everything they tried to cure has gotten worse. And the worse thing the great society did was destroy the family structure of poor Americans, black and white by giving incentives to fatherless homes.
Folks like me?
As The Langley Porter Institutes were cornerstoned in '41, I would have been far too young to have advocated against them.
Current guidelines in many social programs ( including Social Security) still penalize intact families. Does that mean we throw out the baby with the bath water or should we look at reform from a stand point of promoting the values we wish to see?
I would argue about the "things getting worse' as there are a lot of nets in place now that were not before the "great society" even WITH our recessive economy.
Again, examples of the "thousand points of light"?
The clinics were refinanced in during Reagan's term as Governor.
I did a little research, Jon, and it seems that today the Langley Porter Clinic In S.F. charges $1,900 per day for in hospital care for the mentally ill. The scale does go down for partial hospital stays @ $750 per day to medication management @ $133 per 15 mins., if you are at 350% of the federal poverty level you can get a 30% discount. It is now deemed an "organized activity" and reports to the university.
So many of the clinics that were supposed to be community based did not come to fruition for lack of funding under the "new federalism" rather than for the NIMBY attitude.