A different kind of house call: Teams bring addiction care to patients, wherever they are
SAN FRANCISCO — Shannon Ducharme was among her friend’s few lifelines: He was homeless and living in Golden Gate Park. Like many here, he was a drug user without access to basic health care services, a vulnerable young man in need but unlikely to seek out care miles away.
But when she ventured into the park to find him, Ducharme was surprised to find she’d been beaten to the punch.
A homeless outreach team here was not only checking in on her friend, but also scores of others among the city’s thousands-strong homeless population, many who had mental illnesses or who had exhibited risky drug use behavior.
“I was there to help my friend, and to take his dog to the vet,” Ducharme said. “And these people are here, doing what I’m doing, but with way more resources and getting paid for it.”
Ducharme went home and downloaded a job application. Three years later, she is an integral part of a team
