Addressing the Poverty Barrier in Collaborative Care for Adults Experiencing Homelessness: A Case-Based Report

The Collaborative Care (CC) model of integrated care is an evidence-based, systematic approach in which primary care and behavioral health teams work together to deliver effective treatment for depression and other common mental illnesses in primary care settings. Because people experiencing homelessness have high rates of chronic medical conditions, mental illness and substance use disorders, interventions that integrate the physical, mental and social determinants of health have been shown to be effective to provide healthcare for this population in primary care outpatient settings. In this article we describe the implementation of a collaborative care program to treat depression in a population of adults experiencing homelessness and receiving primary care in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in Downtown Miami, Florida. We present three case studies that highlight key concepts, potential benefits and limitations in using this model to treat patients experiencing depression and homelessness in urban areas.