Outpatient clinic for the homeless in Poznań
„Zupa na Głównym” Association
Outpatient clinics for people in crisis of homelessness have been operating in Warsaw and Krakow for many years. They are run by non-governmental organisations, financed thanks to grants from the city budget and from their own resources. Most activities are based on voluntary work. Some positions are full-time.
In the city of Poznań we also see a need for a similarly operating clinic. It is not uncommon for homeless people to be in the same public space (public transport, railway stations, parks, etc.) as the rest of society. Living in different, sometimes hard-to-imagine places, they have no access to bathrooms, running water or cleaning products, making them unable to maintain personal hygiene. Through lack of health insurance, they have difficult access to health services, so they often carry various parasites, have open, untreated wounds and sores, and may not be aware of the infectious diseases they are carrying. Such people may pose a health risk to other residents. Often homeless people are also mentally disturbed, which makes them unaware of their situation – as part of the streetworking activities conducted by the ‘Soup on the Main’ Association, we meet them in the space of our city.
A separate but important problem of homeless people wishing to undertake addiction therapy is the lack of a place in Poznań where it is possible to ‘zero out’, i.e. simply sober up and get rid of alcohol from the body, in safe conditions. In most cases, admissions to a detoxification or therapeutic ward are scheduled and the person admitted must be sober. A person in crisis of homelessness does not have the opportunity to prepare for treatment in a safe environment. Often, out of fear of the consequences that may follow withdrawal from stimulants (e.g. epileptic seizures), they continue to be stuck in their addiction. Therefore, it would be important for the outpatient clinic to have the possibility for people with appointments to enter treatment to stay under the supervision of the medical team until the day of their scheduled admission to the treatment or detoxification unit (up to a maximum of three days).
An outpatient clinic for homeless people will minimise the health effects on people living in urban spaces and thus protect all residents of our City. In our experience, when dealing with people in crisis of homelessness, it is very important to build trust and that there are fixed days and times when they can ask for help. We are committed to providing comprehensive support and therefore it would make sense for there to be an outpatient clinic in addition to a medical and nursing team, the opportunity to bathe and change into clean clothes and the support of a social worker.
Outpatient clinic for the homeless in Poznań
„Zupa na Głównym” Association
Outpatient clinics for people in crisis of homelessness have been operating in Warsaw and Krakow for many years. They are run by non-governmental organisations, financed thanks to grants from the city budget and from their own resources. Most activities are based on voluntary work. Some positions are full-time.
In the city of Poznań we also see a need for a similarly operating clinic. It is not uncommon for homeless people to be in the same public space (public transport, railway stations, parks, etc.) as the rest of society. Living in different, sometimes hard-to-imagine places, they have no access to bathrooms, running water or cleaning products, making them unable to maintain personal hygiene. Through lack of health insurance, they have difficult access to health services, so they often carry various parasites, have open, untreated wounds and sores, and may not be aware of the infectious diseases they are carrying. Such people may pose a health risk to other residents. Often homeless people are also mentally disturbed, which makes them unaware of their situation – as part of the streetworking activities conducted by the ‘Soup on the Main’ Association, we meet them in the space of our city.
A separate but important problem of homeless people wishing to undertake addiction therapy is the lack of a place in Poznań where it is possible to ‘zero out’, i.e. simply sober up and get rid of alcohol from the body, in safe conditions. In most cases, admissions to a detoxification or therapeutic ward are scheduled and the person admitted must be sober. A person in crisis of homelessness does not have the opportunity to prepare for treatment in a safe environment. Often, out of fear of the consequences that may follow withdrawal from stimulants (e.g. epileptic seizures), they continue to be stuck in their addiction. Therefore, it would be important for the outpatient clinic to have the possibility for people with appointments to enter treatment to stay under the supervision of the medical team until the day of their scheduled admission to the treatment or detoxification unit (up to a maximum of three days).
An outpatient clinic for homeless people will minimise the health effects on people living in urban spaces and thus protect all residents of our City. In our experience, when dealing with people in crisis of homelessness, it is very important to build trust and that there are fixed days and times when they can ask for help. We are committed to providing comprehensive support and therefore it would make sense for there to be an outpatient clinic in addition to a medical and nursing team, the opportunity to bathe and change into clean clothes and the support of a social worker.