“
My OT helped me problem solve my real life in my new apartment. I would probably be back outside or in a shelter without occupational therapy to help me figure it out.”
Outreach Therapy OT client
Outreach Therapy Services
Groups
We provide low-barrier groups at the Second Avenue Commons drop-in center, no referral needed. Examples of programming include self-care, social, arts, cooking, and recreational activities to prepare for the transition from shelter to housing.
Please reach out for more info on current groups, or if you would like a shelter or housing program to be considered for inclusion when our groups grow in the future!
Individual
Refer an individual for OT evaluation and treatment for life skill development, health management, and more.
Per the Pennsylvania OT Practice Act, referral must be completed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. If no medical provider is available, we can help suggest a clinic or collaborate with street medicine partners to facilitate referral to OT and/or other resources.
Individual OT services are free of cost, no insurance required, as we are grant funded.
Consultation
Consult with Outreach Occupational Therapists on a variety of areas including:
+ Homelessness education and training for traditional healthcare settings / departments
+ Shelter / housing consultation of physical, cognitive, and/or sensory accessibility
+ Group programming guides tailored to your shelter or housing program
+ Staff training informed by mental health, cognitive impairment, and physical disability factors
+ Custom referral or process guide for commonly encountered situations patients face (e.g. cognitive impairment, older adults)
Referring to Outreach Therapy Individual OT
Referral to Outreach Therapy occupational therapists can be made for individuals experiencing homelessness or recently housed in Allegheny County, PA.
As our work is focused on disparities related to homelessness, the best-fit referrals are for:
Housing Transitions / Community Re-Integration
Imminently or recently moving from homelessness to housing with physical, mental health, and/or cognitive diagnoses, to (re)learn skills to adapt and live independently
This DOES include:
- Collaborative goal development between patient and occupational therapist
- Strategy development and education re: skills to meet responsibilities to obtain or maintain shelter or housing (e.g. strategies for cleaning, paying rent, connecting with social community)
This DOES NOT include:
- When a different resource or higher level of care is better suited (e.g., service coordination, psychosocial clubhouse, Community Health Choices waiver services or PACE/LIFE nursing home alternative program)
- Any imposed treatment goals that the patient does not want to pursue
- Case management services (e.g., actual placement into housing)
- Traditional home health care for homebound patients
- Permanent caregiving or personal care services
- Payment of rent or utilities
Equitable Access to Rehabilitation
For individuals that have tried to access traditional occupational therapy services and faced barriers that made it impossible to get therapeutic benefit
This DOES include:
- People who have attempted traditional OT services but could not attend appointments due to feelings of bias / judgement for housing status or substance use, or undue burden to attend appointments due to competing survival needs or cognitive impairment
- People with complex interacting socioeconomic, physical health, cognitive, mental health, and substance use disorder needs that were not able to be adequately addressed in traditional settings
This DOES NOT include:
- Patients who live in shelter / housing placement and have not yet tried to engage with traditional outpatient or home health care services
- Patients who do not attend appointments because they do not want the services
- Patients who only need braces, durable medical equipment / wheelchair repair (call the phone number on the wheelchair)
- Diagnosis of illnesses. Diagnosis must be made by the referring provider.
- Conditions that require specific certifications not held by our clinical team (e.g. Certified Hand Therapist for complex post-op hand injuries, wheelchair fittings, driver rehab)
Before completing a referral form:
- Expand and read the above descriptions of our programs to ensure the referral would be a good fit; and refer to other suggested resources as indicated
- Speak to the individual you want to refer to confirm they are interested in OT services, and what they want OT services for
- Identify the medical provider that will sign the form, they must be a licensed:
- Physician: Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Osteopathy (DO)
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Physician Associate (PA)
– OR –
While anyone may give information for the reason for referral, a medical provider must sign the OT referral either via the online or printed form in order for us to perform an OT evaluation.
Once received, OT will determine if they are best served in our program, or elsewhere.
Questions? Email referrals@otpgh.org