|
Health Care ServicesHomeless and at-risk youth are particularly susceptible to injury and illness but often have no means through which to secure health care. At Covenant House, urgent and primary medical care is free of charge to homeless, runaway, and at-risk young people ages 21 and younger.
Medical services are provided either on site by Covenant House medical staff or through referrals to local hospitals, clinics or medical centers. Young people can receive a wide spectrum of care including medical, psychological, psychiatric, optometric, and dental as well as any specialty services as needed. Youth are provided important information on nutrition, STD/HIV prevention and other issues related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Covenant House residents get physical exams shortly after they arrive at a Crisis Center. For many of these young people, it is the first checkup they've had in years. An important component of the Covenant House Health Care Program is psychiatric services. Nearly 15 percent of the 18 to 21 year-old residents in Covenant House Crisis Centers struggle with serious mental health problems that require a range of psychiatric services. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
donate
|
 |
|
Meet Jose
Q.What was your life like before coming to Covenant House Florida? A.I left home at when I was really young, but I managed to hold a job and maintain an apartment--until I got robbed. Suddenly was homeless at 18 and, I had a drug problem. I had a lot more to learn. Q.How did the programs here help you? A.I completed CHAMP (Covenant House Addictions Management Project), which is a six-week substance abuse treatment program for the kids living here. I also attended the GED classes to get a high school equivalency. I've got a job in a nice restaurant that I hope will help me with my goals. Q.What are your future goals? A.I want to go to culinary school and to learn massage therapy. Someday, I'd like to own my own business that combines both. Q.What have you learned? A.Everyone is good to me here. I've learned how to stay sober and how not to mess up my life. |
 |
