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Date: 8/29/2023
NORTHAMPTON — Clinical & Support Options was one of six awardees chosen in the state to be a part of the commonwealth’s Medical Respite Pilot Program, which is expected to begin in November.
According to Karin Jeffers, CSO president and CEO, the new program falls under the organization’s Friends of the Homeless shelter and housing programming located in Springfield, Northampton and Greenfield. The new pilot program allows CSO to expand its offerings for houseless individuals who are discharged from a hospital and do not have a housing option available to them.
“This pilot program allows us to add 10 beds for the region, specifically for those residents experiencing homelessness or discharge from the hospital to have a safe space to recuperate,” Jeffers said, in an interview with Reminder Publishing. “This program makes sure they get follow-up medical care and that they have a long-term place to recuperate and recover and get into permanent housing.”
Jeffers said that the beds will be located in Northampton but CSO plans on working with hospitals across the region, including Cooley Dickinson Health Care, Mercy and Baystate Health when it comes to referrals of individuals.
Currently, the program allows individuals to stay within the program for up to six months, according to Jeffers.
“Certainly, if someone didn’t need the entire time, we would move them through more quickly,” Jeffers added.
That being said, a major goal of this program is to connect these individuals to long-term care and help that goes beyond medical, including finding permanent housing.
“Part of the idea of connecting these medical respite programs with shelter providers is that we also have the expertise in moving people into permanent housing,” Jeffers said. “This is certainly meant as a continuum of care.”
Jeffers added that CSO has been advocating for this type of programming for years, so she is “thrilled” to see it come to fruition.
“We’ve noticed a big type of need for this service,” Jeffers said. “We have been working with hospitals around how we can care for people post-discharge.”
CSO will fill the beds by taking referrals from area hospital emergency departments, inpatient units, surgery centers, primary care doctors and insurance companies who typically refer individuals to this type of care.
The pilot program lasts 15 months total, so Jeffers said CSO’s goal is to help as many individuals as possible within that time frame with the hope that the program will be a permanent fixture in the state and Western Massachusetts area.
“This program really aligns with the continuum of care we provide throughout the region,” Jeffers said. “We’re really excited to get this more medically focused support for individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Currently, Jeffers said CSO has 175 beds in Springfield, 40 beds in Greenfield and 35 beds in Northampton. All three of those shelter programs have integrated nursing and clinical support.
Holistically, CSO is the largest homeless shelter outside of Boston.