The Homeless Health Initiative (HHI) provides monthly health education workshops on a variety of topics for parents experiencing homelessness. These workshops take place in shelters located in the greater Philadelphia region and Mercer County, New Jersey. Shelter residents and staff suggest topics, and the HHI team structures the workshops to give parents information that will empower them with knowledge and tools to positively impact and advocate for their family’s health.

HHI volunteer facilitators are also learning from families about the unique challenges they experience when living in shelters. HHI hopes volunteers will be able to use what they learn to inform their clinical practice with families.

Topics include:

• Emergency vs. Urgent Care vs. Primary Care utilization 
• Chronic health conditions, such as asthma, eczema, and diabetes 
• Child development, including the impact of stress on infant development, and how to organize a child’s care 
• Understanding ear infections and hearing issues 
• Advocating for your child’s school success, including individualized education plans (IEPs) 
• Dental health and oral hygiene 
• Common youth behavioral health topics, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the impact of trauma 
• Healthy lifestyle choices, including inexpensive and accessible ways to improve nutrition and physical activity

If you are a CHOP employee and interested in volunteering for Health Education Workshops, please email HHI@chop.edu with your credentials and a topic you would like to present.