Social Worker and Nurse Practitioner Consultation: An Innovative Approach to Bridging Healthcare Service and
Teresa Judge-Ellis1, Karen Abendroth2, Jillian Weber3
1Teresa Judge-Ellis, DNP, is associate clinical professor, College of Nursing, University of Iowa, 50 Newton Road, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
Health & Social Work
|September 2, 2025
Summary
Electronic consultations (e-consults) bridge healthcare gaps for homeless veterans. This project empowered social workers by connecting them with nurse practitioners, improving care coordination and advocacy for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Social Work in Healthcare
- Interprofessional Collaboration
Background:
- Homeless veterans face complex health and social challenges impacting housing stability.
- Veterans Health Administration (VHA) homeless programs utilize social workers but often lack integrated healthcare services.
- A communication gap exists between VHA homeless program social workers and the broader healthcare system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement an interdisciplinary project providing VHA homeless program social workers access to specialized healthcare consultation.
- To assess the effectiveness of different consultation modalities (face-to-face, curbside, e-consult) for improving care coordination.
- To enhance social worker advocacy and empowerment for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Main Methods:
- A six-month interdisciplinary project was implemented at a Veterans Administration Medical Center.
- Homeless program social workers received consultation from a dually prepared primary care and psychiatric nurse practitioner.
- Three consultation modalities were utilized: face-to-face, curbside, and electronic consultation (e-consult).
Main Results:
- A total of 21 consultations were conducted over the six-month project period.
- Electronic consultations (e-consults) demonstrated potential as an effective communication tool.
- The project aimed to improve advocacy and empowerment for social workers serving homeless veterans.
Conclusions:
- Electronic consultations (e-consults) offer a sustainable and effective communication channel between social workers and healthcare systems.
- Integrating healthcare consultation into homeless programs can improve support for veterans experiencing homelessness.
- Empowering social workers through enhanced communication can lead to better outcomes for vulnerable veteran populations.
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