Journal article
Social Worker and Nurse Practitioner Consultation: An Innovative Approach to Bridging Healthcare Service and Communication Gaps for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
Health & social work, Vol.50(4), pp.289-296
11/01/2025
DOI: 10.1093/hsw/hlaf031
PMID: 40891414
Abstract
Veterans experiencing homelessness have complex physical, mental health, and substance use disorders that impact their ability to obtain and maintain housing. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) maintains robust homeless programs with MSW social workers as case managers. In the absence of on-site specialized healthcare services, there is a gap in communication between the homeless program social worker and the broader healthcare system. This article reports on the development and implementation of a six-month interdisciplinary project designed to provide the homeless program social workers at one Veterans Administration Medical Center access to consultation with a dually prepared primary care and psychiatric nurse practitioner embedded in the VHA homeless program team. Three different consultation modalities were implemented: face-to-face, curbside, and electronic consultation (e-consult). The six-month project included 21 consultations. In locations where on-site healthcare providers are not readily available, e-consults can be an effective and sustainable means for communication between homeless program social workers and the healthcare system to improve advocacy for veterans experiencing homelessness and empowerment of the social workers.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Social Worker and Nurse Practitioner Consultation: An Innovative Approach to Bridging Healthcare Service and Communication Gaps for Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
- Creators
- Teresa Judge-Ellis - University of IowaKaren Abendroth - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemJillian Weber - Veterans Health Administration
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Health & social work, Vol.50(4), pp.289-296
- DOI
- 10.1093/hsw/hlaf031
- PMID
- 40891414
- NLM abbreviation
- Health Soc Work
- ISSN
- 0360-7283
- eISSN
- 1545-6854
- Publisher
- OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 09/02/2025
- Date published
- 11/01/2025
- Academic Unit
- Nursing
- Record Identifier
- 9984958611402771
Metrics
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