Description:

Medical respite care is defined as acute and post-acute care for people experiencing homelessness who are too ill or frail to recover from a physical illness or injury on the streets, but who are not ill enough to be in a hospital. Every medical respite care program shares the same fundamental elements: a short-term, safe place to stay, allowing people experiencing homelessness an opportunity to rest, recover, and heal in a safe environment while accessing medical care and supportive services. These programs are a critical opportunity to provide safety and opportunity to connect with providers and services to address the many factors contributing to a person's experience of homelessness. To attend to the safety and healing of end users, programs would do well to employ intentional, trauma-informed, human-centered design approaches that support the mental and physical health needs presented by this population. Dignified Design is one such approach that prioritizes the needs of individuals accessing and delivering services in medical respite settings through a clear framework of principles and practices. This webinar will provide an overview of medical respite programs, their role in communities, and how the field of architecture can contribute to these programs through a Dignified Design approach, which centers the needs of people experiencing homelessness.

Hosted in partnership with the AIA Academy of Architecture for Health an AIA Knowledge Community.

Learning Objectives:

Speakers

Shane Bass, PMP, LSSBB

Senior Project Manager | Central Health

Dr. Audrey Kuang

Co-Director, High Risk Populations | Central Health

Rachelle Macur

Director of Social Value I Shopworks Architecture

Caitlin Synovec, OTD, OTR/L, CHMH

Assistant Director of Medical Respite Care | National Health Care for the Homeless Council

Moderator

Nick Faust, AIA, LEED AP, WELL AP, EDAC

Associate | Lawrence Group