Homeless Palliative Care Team

Homeless Palliative Care Team

Specialty Care for People Facing Homelessness & Serious Illness

Harborview’s Homeless Palliative Care team is the nation’s first mobile outreach program supporting people experiencing homelessness who are also living with serious, life-threatening conditions such as cancer, heart failure, and end-stage diseases.

We partner with health and social service providers across King County to help patients navigate complex care systems from diagnosis through end of life. We travel to meet people wherever they live, sleep, or receive care including encampments, shelters, and permanent supportive housing buildings. We see patients with their case managers, primary care providers, and other medical specialists and often visit patients when admitted to Seattle-area hospitals.

Our interprofessional team specializes in relieving the symptoms and stress of serious illness to improve quality of life. We also help patients access care that matches their goals and values while planning for potential changes in their health. Our harm-reduction and trauma-informed approach centers on the value of relationships and the inherent dignity of our patients.

Specialty Services for Serious Illness Care

  • Treatment of disease symptoms and treatment side effects
  • Support for psychosocial and spiritual needs
  • Advance care planning and documentation
  • Care at end-of-life including referrals to hospice when appropriate
  • Health system navigation and complex care coordination

Referrals

We accept referrals from any member of a health or social services team in King County. Please follow the link below to review our referral criteria and to submit a referral online. A follow-up call to discuss new referrals is required prior to outreach. We offer phone consultation to care teams working with any patient with serious illness in King County regardless of referral eligibility or priority level.

Contact

Phone: 206.744.5060
Fax: 206.744.0032
Email: HCHPallCare@uw.edu

In the News

Follow the links below to read about our program and a few of our patients navigating serious illness while experiencing homelessness.

Donate

We are grateful for financial support from the King County Healthcare for the Homeless Network; donors including the Schepp Family and the Glaser Foundation; and generous contributions from community partners like you. Your gifts expand and deepen our impact, helping us bring palliative care to more people in need throughout our region.

To discuss donations and major gifts, please contact Christine Howeiler, Director for Health System Philanthropy, at howeiler@uw.edu or 206.543.7332.

Education and Resources

We welcome the opportunity to speak with teams and organizations about our work and the care of people facing serious illness while living unhoused. Please contact us to discuss interest and availability.

Program Reports

Publications

  • Johnson, I.M., Light, M.A., Lewinson, T., Perry, T., & Moore, M. (2022). Understanding the ephemeral moment of COVID avoidance hotels: Lessons learned from acknowledging housing as central to dignified later life. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2022.2087129.
  • Johnson, I.M. & Light, M.A. (2023). Pathways of Individuals Experiencing Serious Illness While Homelessness: An Exploratory 4-Point Typology from the RASCAL-UP Study. Journal of Social Work in End of Life & Palliative Care. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2023.2223772

Practice Resources