The Work
Our mission is to provide high quality medical care and care coordination for our homeless neighbors. We work with other organizations to identify people who are at risk or need urgent medical attention. We also spend time visiting established camps/communities, building relationships, and providing care. Our limited mobile urgent care provides assessment, first aid, wound care, assistance with weather-related injuries and advice on chronic medical conditions. We limit prescribing to conditions that don't require lab or imaging for diagnosis.
We recognize that access to healthcare can be complicated, and we do everything we can to help our homeless neighbors navigate the system. On our teams, the Social Worker is often the most-needed role. There are many great organizations in our community who provide excellent medical services to the homeless community, and one of our main goals is to help connect the people we meet with the services that are already available.
In order to maintain a standard in quality of care, volunteers must be willing to commit to a regular schedule. A minimum of 2 shifts per month for our Street Teams, or a minimum of one shift per month for our Public Health Outreach or Community Health Education.
We know that caring relationships are more likely to form between people who share lived experiences. We also realize that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community members experience a disproportionate burden of homelessness. We strive to offer more equitable and culturally supportive care to BIPOC houseless individuals. In this light, we are interested in connecting with BIPOC health care professionals (licensed or unlicensed) or those who have experienced homelessness who would like to help provide care for our homeless community members.
Opportunities
General Street Rounds (2 shifts per month)
PSM currently sends out teams on Mondays (5:30-9:30pm), Wednesdays (11:45-4:30pm), and Fridays (10am-4pm). We also partner with Portland People’s Outreach Project on Friday evenings and Saturdays twice a month.
Our teams consist of a Licensed Independent Practitioner (MD/DO/NP/PA), an RN/EMT-P/I, Care Coordinator (LCSW, MSW, CHW), and Scribe. Portland Street Medicine has roles for unlicensed individuals who care for their community from expertise gained through lived experience.
Public Health Outreach (1 shift per month)
Outreach teams consist of clinical and non-clinical volunteers depending on the shift. Currently, our outreach shifts occur on Thursday twice a month (10AM-3PM). Typically on a shift, we have vaccinators, clinical observers and other non-medical volunteer support. Severe Weather shifts or other additional shifts may also be scheduled at various times as-needed and is open to all volunteers.
Community Health Education (CHE) (1-2 shifts per month)
PSM’s Community Health Education (CHE) volunteers facilitate our First Aid for Wound workshops, as well as Narcan and Harm Reduction workshops at medicated-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics, Safe Rest Villages, shelters, and during street outreach. Outreach often occurs in tandem with trusted community partners and focuses on distributing wound care and other harm reduction supplies, as well as engaging and connecting with creative minds who benefit from grounding activities like knot tying, letter writing, and various art projects while learning. CHE Outreach also provides a safe space for new volunteers to get accustomed to working with people experiencing houselessness (PEH), learn about harm reduction from people providing and accessing the services, and have fun being in community with folks who have not had many positive experiences with medical professionals.
Volunteer Roles
Click link to view:
Provider (MD/NP/DO/PA)
Care Coordinator (LCSW, MSW, CHW)
Scribe (non-clinical)
Driver (description coming soon)
Next Onboarding Trainings
Please check back in January 2025 for onboarding dates and application links
For specific questions, you can reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Janell Watt, at jwatt@portlandstreetmedicine.org or leave a message at 503-501-1231.
*Please allow 2-3 weeks for a reply.