Be an Advocate
As a consumer of Health Care for the Homeless services, you have an important say in the work we do.
We’d like you to participate in our advocacy work. Learn more about this work here. And please come to the next meeting of the Consumer Relations Committee.
Consumer Relations Committee
A committee of the Health Care for the Homeless Board of Directors, the Consumer Relations Committee represents the interests of people experiencing homelessness, including former and current clients. Committee members support the growth and development of client-led work within Health Care for the Homeless.
We Want to Hear About Your Experience
Consumer Relations Committee members make recommendations to the Health Care for the Homeless Board of Directors and staff so that we are guided by your experience. The committee gathers consumer feedback by:
- Holding regular listening sessions and focus groups
- Collecting comments from the Feedback Boxes in each of our clinic lobbies
- Collaborating with the Performance Improvement Committee to issue an annual Client Satisfaction Survey
The whole thing with advocacy is, you ask a question and you get an answer, then you ask another question and you get another answer, and another question and another…And the more questions you ask, the more curiosity, knowledge and ability others get. As an advocate, I’ve brought quite a few people through this door right here.
I am no more or no different than you
We Want to Engage and Support You
Consumer Relations Committee members participate on agency committees and task forces and serve as liaisons between Health Care for the Homeless and clients.
Many people who receive services at Health Care for the Homeless want to give back and support their peers. Consumer Relations Committee members work with the agency’s Health Equity Committee to brainstorm ideas and develop opportunities for peer support.
Committee members develop projects that address issues raised by clients. Some examples:
- The Help Desk at 421 Fallsway. Committee members provide staff and clients with information about Health Care for the Homeless services and external resources during the busiest morning hours.
- Leadership Development. Committee members organize and participate in leadership and other skills training activities to support the personal growth and development of clients.
Join Us!
Leave your name and contact information with the Help Desk and a member of the Consumer Relations Committee will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Consumer Relations Committee in the Community
The Consumer Relations Committee supports consumer-led advocacy initiatives in the community:
-
B’More Housing For All is a grassroots campaign of people who have experienced homelessness and allies who work to end homelessness by promoting public policies and raising awareness of the causes and experiences of homelessness.
- Baltimore Area Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau is a public education project that challenges the deeply entrenched stereotypes and stigma about the experience of homelessness and poverty by engaging the broader community in dialogue led by true experts—those who have experienced it first-hand.