Two years ago, Prevention Point Philadelphia (PPP) helped create a visionary new model for medical care integrated with emergency housing for people who use drugs—a model that recognizes that shelter, medical care, and long-term stability go hand in hand. In a group initiative, the City of Philadelphia, Project HOME, Warren E. Smith, and PPP opened Philly Home at Girard, a low-barrier safe haven designed for people who have struggled to find stability and a path forward elsewhere. The safe haven provides intensive wraparound care for residents with complex medical and behavioral health needs, and even welcomes couples and pets. Most importantly, medical care, case management, residential services, and recovery services are integrated under one roof—a model not often seen elsewhere.
The partnership created Philly Home at Girard with these services because we know how difficult it is to navigate multiple systems while experiencing homelessness. Here, medical care is a short elevator ride away, with the PPP clinic open 12 hours a day. Residents can meet with medical providers, case managers, behavioral health professionals, and Certified Recovery Specialists (CRSs) without leaving the building—removing barriers that often prevent people from accessing care.
The commitment to our residents does not end when they move into permanent housing. PPP’s staff work with residents before they move to anticipate challenges, build confidence, connect them to neighborhood resources, and develop strategies for success. During the critical first months of independent living, our Transitional CRS continues providing support to participants moving out of the PPP shelter floor, helping them maintain stability, strengthen community connections, and reduce the risk of returning to homelessness.
The results have been remarkable. Residents are engaging in medical care, often for the first time in years. In addition to treatment for substance use disorder, patients are receiving care for chronic illnesses, hepatitis C, wounds, mental health concerns, and other conditions that may have gone undiagnosed or untreated while living on the street.
Philly Home at Girard also seeks to build community. Residents participate in neighborhood cleanups, attend weekly art workshops, help maintain a garden on campus, and contribute to creating a welcoming environment for one another.
Every day, we see what becomes possible when people are given not just a bed, but the support, dignity, and compassionate care they deserve. At Philly Home at Girard, residents can address medical needs, build healthy relationships, and take meaningful steps toward recovery and permanent housing. Most importantly, they have a warm, welcoming place to come home to while they work toward the futures they want for themselves.
By: Jul Powell, Shelter Operations Coordinator; Maggie Hatala, Medical Case Management Supervisor; Shana Ventresca, Clinical Operations Manager; Monique Joosse, Housing Case Management Coordinator