Restoring Health

Pathways to Housing PA serves people with complex physical and behavioral health needs. 

Many of the people we work with have serious, chronic, and untreated medical issues that have often been neglected for years and require significant healthcare coordination.

To address the level of medical need, Pathways formed our Integrated Care Clinic. Our goal is to ensure a person-centered approach to care that emphasizes a welcoming environment, recovery, wellness, trauma-informed care, and the integration of physical and behavioral health care. 

Incredible progress has been made towards ending chronic homelessness in our community, but there is still more to do as we provide homes, restore health, and reclaim lives.

Since 2008, Pathways has elevated Health Equity as the largest Housing First provider in Philadelphia.

Enormous health inequities are found amongst people experiencing homelessness. Individuals experiencing homelessness  struggle to eat nutritious food and manage chronic health conditions. They are also less likely to access primary and preventative healthcare services, resulting in increased risk for later-stage diagnosis of disease, poor control of manageable conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, and ultimately, a shorter life expectancy.   

Based on the 2022 Philadelphia Point-in-Time Count, there are nearly 4,500 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in the City. Of those, 35% have a disabling mental health diagnosis and 29% have substance use disorder. Serious mental illness and substance use disorders often co-occur with one or more chronic health conditions, including higher rates of asthma, heart and kidney diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. In addition, 73% of adults experiencing homelessness are Black or African American; Philadelphia's general population is 41% Black or African American. 

• We are a leading provider of integrated health care, combining both mental and physical health care services with permanent housing. Housing is merely the first step towards experiencing an improvement in overall physical health and psychological well-being. Our Integrated Care Clinic removes barriers to care and supports participants in the office, in their homes, and in the community to ensure they're receiving the care they need.
• We provide the highest level of mental health services available in the community to those who are marginalized. Our on-staff psychiatrists work alongside a behavioral health therapist and in concert with both Housing First teams and clinic staff to provide comprehensive, high-quality care.
• We provide street outreach services. Our staff are often the first to connect unhoused individuals to healthcare resources. Our outreach team includes a certified peer specialist with lived experience of housing instability, allowing them insight into our participant's lives and how to best provide care while unhoused.
• We partner with managed care organizations to leverage private investments with targeted street outreach and medical respite programs.