The Health Care for the Homeless Project is a federally funded program that provides health care to homeless men, women, and children.  The program is administered by Family Health Centers, Inc. and has been in existence for 17 years.  The program has five basic components: Phoenix Health Center, Phoenix Dental Clinic, the Health Outreach Team, Homeless Outreach Team, and Mental Health Services. The Phoenix Health Center is located at 712 East Muhammad Ali Boulevard. In 2005 the Health Care for the Homeless Project provided services over 4,400 homeless individuals.

Health Clinic: The clinic provides primary care services with referrals for most speciality services. Health care services and medications are provided to patients at no charge.  The clinic operates 37 hours per week; Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Patients are served on a walk-in basis with sign-up times for medical services at 7:30 AM and 12:00 PM.

Dental Clinic: The dental clinic has both a paid staff and a volunteer staff. The paid staff is comprised of a part-time dentist, full-time dental assistant, and a part-time hygienist. Services include: emergency care, preventative, and restorative. The dental clnic is open Tuesday through Friday. Walk-in patients are taken for tooth pain, other services are by appointment. For appointments phone 568-6972.

Health Outreach Team: The Health Outreach Team consists of a two family nurse practitioners and a medical assistant/team coordinator.  The Team provides health services on site at five homeless shelters that serve families and single women. The purpose of the Team is to provide immediate health care and to reconnect persons to community health care providers for ongoing care.  Services include immunizations, TB screenings, developmental assessments, health education, laboratory services, and referral.

Homeless Outreach Team: The Homeless Outreach Team consists of seven social service workers who provide services to the homeless. Outreach and case management is provided to adults who suffer from severe substance abuse, mental illness, and/or physical illnesses. Clients are assited in applying for entitlements, obtaining shelter, clothing, food, and other needed social services. Two part-time child advocates provide outreach in the shelters and assist families who have children with special needs. Two substance abuse workers provide substance abuse assessment within the homeless shelters and provide access to substance abuse treatment at JADAC and / or mental health treatment at Family and Children’s Counseling Centers. The ultimate goal of the team is to assist clients to leave homelessness for permanent housing.

Mental Health: A full-time mental health coordinator arranges for the provision of mental health services at the clinic. In partnership with Seven Counties Services, mental health treatment is provided by a psychiatric nurse practitioner on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday mornings. For an appointment phone 568-6972. Phoenix Health Center is also home to the four member Seven Counties Services’ Mental Health Outreach Team that provides mental health outreach and case management to homeless persons.

 The Phoenix Health Center is state licensed and accredited by the Joint Commmittee on Accrediation of Health Care Organizations