The purpose of the Health & Safety Committee is to identify and address health and safety needs of people experiencing homelessness at a community/systems level throughout the Marion County and Polk County and advise decision-making regarding:
- Coordination between the CoC, healthcare entities and housing/homeless service entities to strengthen partnerships;
- Discharge planning for those currently homeless or at risk of homelessness from higher levels of care including correctional facilities, the youth foster care system, hospitals (including the Oregon State Hospital), and other physical health and mental health facilities;
- Actively informing and utilizing the region’s Community Health Assessment (CHA) as it relates to homelessness and housing services;
- Actively informing, utilizing, aligning efforts with, and supplementing the region’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP or CHP) as it relates to homelessness and housing services; and
- Emerging and/or pressing public health needs in alignment with the CoC’s Infectious Disease Prevention and Response Policy.
To fulfill its purpose, the Health & Safety Committee will also:
- Identify systematic health and safety needs and advocate with partners for resolution as needed.
- Support current resources and collaborate to improve access to these resources.
- Communicate findings with organizations inside and outside the CoC.
- Connect experts from the healthcare and housing/homeless services sectors to address gaps/issues.
- Link every discussion item, decision, and focus area with the CoC’s Strategic Plan.
- Respond to needs with a teamwork approach by building trust, acknowledging difficult realities of our workforce and systems, and seeking understanding of the complexities and nuances surrounding healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness.
- Use a data-informed approach.
The Health & Safety Committee is authorized by the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance’s Board of Directors (CoC Board).
Staff contact: emily.mewbourn@mwvhomelessalliance.org