Health Ambassadors for People Experiencing Homelessness

Health Ambassadors for People Experiencing Homelessness

Program Type: Competitive grant program administered by The Center at Sierra Health Foundation

Funder: California Department of Public Health

Overview: A statewide program providing funding and technical assistance for organizations to hire, train, mentor and support Health Ambassadors. Community organizations throughout California are hiring, training and mentoring Health Ambassadors who have experiences of homelessness and who can offer peer support and share personal motivations for getting vaccines and other health services.

Geographic Scope: California (statewide)

Program Goals

• Strengthen partnerships among stakeholders in the homelessness system of care and local public health and health care systems
• Provide connections to health care and housing resources
• Help people experiencing homelessness feel more confident about COVID-19 vaccines
• Link people experiencing homelessness to testing, vaccine resources and other health-related services

Award Information

• Total Funding: $3.86 million (2022 funding)
• Number of Grantees: 16 nonprofit organizations and government entities
• Award Range: $100,000 to $250,000 over 18 months

2022 Funded Community Partners

• Access Support Network (Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Benito counties)
• Alliance for Community Transformations (Mariposa County)
• Asian Youth Center (Los Angeles County)
• Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates Inc. (San Francisco County)
• Code Tenderloin, Fiscal Sponsor: Center for New Music (San Francisco County)
• Community Medical Centers, Inc. (San Joaquin County)
• Foothill House of Hospitality, DBA Hospitality House (Nevada County)
• Healthy House Within a MATCH Coalition (Merced County)
• Hill Country Community Clinic (Shasta County)
• LifeLong Medical Care (Contra Costa County)
• Roots Community Health Center (Alameda County)
• Safer Alternatives through Networking & Education (Sacramento County)
• San Diego Housing Commission (San Diego County)
• Special Service for Groups, Inc. (Los Angeles County)
• The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership (Sacramento County)
• Vision y Compromiso (San Bernardino County)

Contact Information

The Center at Sierra Health Foundation
• Address: 1321 Garden Highway Suite 210, Sacramento, California 95833
• Phone: (916) 993-7701
• Email: impact@shfcenter.org