City of Cambridge and Bay Cove Human Services Unveil New Outreach Van to Support Unhoused Residents
The van, funded by the City of Cambridge, will provide medical aid and referrals through Bay Cove's CASPAR First Step Outreach Program
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Thursday, November 8, 2024 -- The City of Cambridge and Bay Cove Human Services have unveiled a new supplemental services outreach van that will support the CASPAR First Step Outreach Program in providing medical care to unhoused individuals.
The enhanced street outreach van, funded through the City of Cambridge, is equipped to provide medical examinations, administer minor procedures, and facilitate meetings between healthcare professionals and people experiencing homelessness. In addition to increasing access to medical care for this medically vulnerable population, the van will support continuity of care by offering evaluation and treatment on the street by trusted providers who also work in shelter-based clinics and at the Cambridge Health Alliance’s Emergency Department.
Beginning in early December, the van will support the Cambridge and Somerville communities up to six days a week, offering medical care to unhoused individuals in the two cities. Sunday through Thursday, First Step staff will be joined on the van by a physician or nurse practitioner from Cambridge Health Alliance’s Healthcare for the Homeless team. The van’s shifts will typically run between 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. or 3 - 11 p.m. in order to provide a range of hours during the day and evening for community members to access its services.
Representatives from other local agencies – including housing, veteran services and the Department of Mental Health -- will also join staff on the van and connect community members with additional resources on select days.
The City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) and Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) collaborated to acquire the van and outfit it to the specifications outlined by First Step and Healthcare for the Homeless. The brand-new vehicle includes the following amenities to support high-quality medical care:
Premium lighting to support health examinations
Customized entrance that promotes accessibility for people with limited mobility
A private meeting area for physician visits and other consultations
An awning to protect from rain and snow when services are being provided outside
Exterior lighting for safety and services provided outside the van, which will be in operation during evening hours.
“It is a huge honor to have the City of Cambridge support our mission and contribute to helping create a new vehicle more accessible and unique to fitting the needs our of unsheltered community,” said Alexis Ivy Grandberg, Director, First Step Outreach Program, CASPAR. “It has been quite a process designing the “dream van” to do our work on the streets, and it is only possible through the generosity and partnership with Cambridge that brought us to this exciting moment. Thank you John Keeter from DPW and Joel Estes from DHSP, who are part of making all of the wheels literally and figuratively turn into this great success.”
The City of Cambridge will fund the van and annual costs related to its medical and outreach services through a portion of the $4 million in federal opioid legal settlements received by the City to date. The outreach van was identified as a primary use of the opioid funds following outreach to community stakeholders, including those who suffer from substance abuse disorders, led by Cambridge’s Substance Use Advisory Committee. Co-chaired by Police Commissioner Christine Elow and Cambridge Commissioner of Public Health Assaad Sayah, MD., the interdisciplinary committee works to coordinate and strengthen the City's response to the opioid crisis across agencies.
“Providing support to members of our unhoused community and to those suffering from substance use disorders requires intense collaboration and resources,” said Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Human Services. “The City of Cambridge is dedicated to working with our community partners, including Bay Cove Human Services and Healthcare for the Homeless, to support community members in accessing pathways to stability. We are thrilled that a portion of Cambridge’s opioid settlement dollars will fund this new First Step Outreach van, which will provide critical, year-round services to our community members experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder.”
"I'm so excited that this outreach van will be available to those struggling with homeless or addiction in Cambridge and Somerville,” said Cambridge Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern. “It will literally save lives."
"This partnership will provide critical and often life-saving services to Healthcare for the Homeless, our patients and clients by meeting them where they are and reducing barriers to care," said Douglas Kress, chief community officer at Cambridge Health Alliance.
The City of Cambridge and Bay Cove have long collaborated in supporting the city’s unhoused population. Bay Cove’s CASPAR (Cambridge And Somerville Programs for Addiction Recovery) First Step Outreach program offers life-saving alternatives to unsheltered individuals who are affected by substance use disorders, mental illness and medical complications associated with life on the streets. Additionally, CASPAR operates the Emergency Services Shelter located at 240 Albany St. and the Transitional Wellness Center at Spaulding Hospital, 1575 Cambridge St. Bay Cove also staffs the City’s Winter Warming Center, which will operate from December 2024 – April 2025.
