Global Health Begins at Home
Applying global health principles to create sustainable and scalable help for unhoused people in Portland.
Global Perm NW has had a 3-year partnership with Portland Street Medicine, a non-profit that works to provide basic medical services to the many people on the street. The needs are vast. Skin and soft tissue injuries and infections are a major problem in this population and can sometimes have catastrophic complications like sepsis or amputations. The innovative Skin & Soft Tissue Health and Education Program provides unhoused individuals with information and skills to care for themselves and for peers–with support from volunteer health professionals.
An example of content from the written self-care training materials.
The model was inspired in part by community-based health programs in places like India and Peru. The project generated a novel set of teaching materials designed specifically for the unhoused population and the most prevalent health problems they encounter. The materials include beautiful original illustrations and use language that is calibrated to this population. Nothing like this existed before.
The program was launched in a spirit of cultural humility and has evolved in dialogue with unhoused people and by paying attention to what works and doesn’t work. This project aligns with Global Perm NW’s goal of building healthcare capacity and listening to the voices of the community being served. The work is being presented at conferences and has gained interest internationally.
Training session at an encampment.
Teaching how to dress skin injuries.
You can also check out this video produced by Portland Street Medicine. Education and training have now become a core part of how PSM works. It started with the skin and soft tissue project and has now expanded to become the Community Health Education Program.