Winter 2022
Innsider News from Pine Street Inn
Medical Care Anywhere
Accessing medical care when you’re living on the street can be extremely challenging, and a pandemic makes it even more difficult. In addition, many of those who stay outside grapple with severe mental health issues, and may be unlikely to go to in-person appointments, even under the best of circumstances. During the pandemic, Pine Street Inn’s outreach staff began using their phones to link clients to healthcare providers. For most people, telehealth and virtual appointments have been a life-changing alternative to going to a doctor’s office. “Clients who would not have gone to a medical appointment for a variety of reasons have been able to connect regularly with providers by using our phones on the street,” says Amanda Proctor, clinical supervisor on Pine Street’s outreach team. “The street is their comfort zone.”
Outreach clinician Amanda Proctor facilitates a virtual appointment
Of the 80+ individuals that Pine Street’s outreach counselors visit daily, one client in particular, comes to mind when discussing the benefits of telehealth. “Pre-COVID, this person would need to go to the veterans’ hospital for all of his appointments. It was a big deal just to get him there and really challenging for him to go through their system.”
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Out in the Cold, Never Giving Up During these coldest months of the year, we are often asked ‘Why would anyone choose to remain outside on the streets in frigid weather?’ Many individuals who stay outside suffer from serious mental illness and/or addiction. They may fear the crowds in shelters, or have difficulty following the rules. The ongoing COVID pandemic has only exacerbated and complicated these issues. Pandemic or not, Pine Street’s outreach
teams go out on foot during the day and in vans at night, especially concerned with frostbite and hypothermia during the winter months. They canvass the city and are familiar with the areas where people stay. It takes a special kind of person to do this work: staff must be patient, persistent and kind, developing relationships and building trust. This process can take weeks, months – or even years.
Pine Street’s outreach van assists a guest
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