Three forum sessions organized by the College of Nursing's Primary Care Scholars will provide insight on housing, advocacy and mental health for the homeless in our surrounding communities. This event is open to the community.
Session One: Healthcare for the Homeless 101: This session will detail the definition of homelessness, the evolution of the Health Care Center for the Homeless and its core characteristics involving self care and team care. This session is presented by Pia Valvassori, PhD, ARNP. Pia received her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida. She has worked in the field of heath care for the homeless for 20 years and has academic appointments at the University of Central Florida, Nova Southeastern University and UF. In addition, she has worked as a clinical researcher and board member with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, served as the policy chair for the caucus on homelessness for the American Public Health Association and has also served on a number of community boards serving vulnerable populations.
Session Two: Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care: While describing the skill and services that a nurse practitioner requires when working with those experiencing mental illness and addiction, we will discuss concepts for integrating behavioral health and primary care. Another focus will be the process for engagement within the context of Health Care Center for the Homeless. This session is presented by Janet Hutchinson, PhD Candidate, ARNP-C. Janet is a nurse practitioner board certified in adult health and mental health. She retired from the United States Army, where she served as a commander responsible for mental health services. She was previously employed for more than 10 years at the Center for Drug Free Living and she currently serves as a critical member of the behavioral health team at the Health Care Center for the Homeless.
Session Three: Undressing Homelessness: The experience of living with an addiction and the consumer experience of being homeless will be detailed while dismissing myths associated with homelessness. This session will be presented by Donald Whitehead. Donald overcame homelessness and addiction to become one of America's leading voices on homelessness and advocacy. His work has earned him an award of special recognition from the Congressional Black Caucus. He is currently managing the Permanent Supportive Housing Program at the Health Care Center for the Homeless. He continues to be a strong leader and advocate speaking on behalf of the homeless population throughout the United States.
The college's Primary Care Scholars are supported by a national Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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