Bridge Healing: A Pilot Project of a New Model to Prevent Repeat “Social Admit” Visits to the Emergency Department and Help Break the Cycle of Homelessness in Canada

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Matthew Robrigado, University of Alberta; Igor Zorić, University of Alberta; David Sleet, Emory University; Louis Hugo Francescutti, University of Alberta
• Language: English
• Date: 2023-09-17
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2023 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196845
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 19
• Start Page: 6845
• Grant/Funding Information: This research received no external funding.
• Keywords: homeless(ness); transitional housing; homeless patients; The Eden alternative™; housing first; emergency department; bridge healing
• Research Categories: Economics; Health care management

Abstract

Homelessness continues to be a pervasive public health problem throughout Canada. Hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) and inpatient wards have become a source of temporary care and shelter for homeless patients. Upon leaving the hospital, homeless patients are not more equipped than before to find permanent housing. The Bridge Healing program in Edmonton, Alberta, has emerged as a novel approach to addressing homelessness by providing transitional housing for those relying on repeated visits to the ED. This paper describes the three essential components to the Bridge Healing model: partnership between the ED and a Housing First community organization; facility design based on The Eden Alternative™ principles; and grassroots community funding. This paper, in conjunction with the current pilot project of the Bridge Healing facilities, serves as a proof of concept for the model and can inform transitional housing approaches in other communities.