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S2E4: Street Medicine, Housing First, and Reaching the Unhoused | Cat Cruz & Dr. Craig Borne
Description
What happens when you take healthcare out of the clinic and bring it directly to the streets?
Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield Podcast!
In this episode, Nicole sits down with Cat Cruz (One Roof) and Dr. Craig Bourne (Cahaba Medical Care) to discuss a groundbreaking new initiative in Birmingham: Care for Our Journey. This interdisciplinary street medicine coalition combines housing navigation, addiction resources, and holistic medical care to meet the unhoused population exactly where they are.
From administering joint injections out of a "soccer mom van" to navigating the complexities of the "savior complex" in social work, Cat and Craig pull back the curtain on what street outreach truly looks like. We discuss the realities of Housing First initiatives, the importance of building trust, and why true success might just mean helping someone get their state ID.
In this episode, we cover:
- What is "Street Medicine" and why is it essential for Birmingham?
- Breaking the stereotype: Why some individuals choose to sleep rough while working full-time.
- How One Roof, Cahaba Medical Care, and Recovery Resource Center collaborate to reduce barriers to care.
- How to support the Care for Our Journey initiative.
Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.
Resources:
- Learn more & view the Amazon Wishlist at One Roof: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1BSQCXXQCWBEB?ref_=wl_share
For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!
https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/
https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition