At least once a week someone asks me about a person experiencing homelessness they are concerned about. Most of them are not in the shelters for whatever reason. Sadly, most of the time, the answers are not what people want to hear. Here’s the official answer about Dane County Homeless Outreach Services.
WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION
I was just tagged on Facebook again today and provided this information. I thought since it was recently updated, this would be good information for more people to see. When I just went to danecountyhomeless.org to find this information, I couldn’t find it through the menu system. So I had to go to my email to find the link. The information changes, so you might want to check back at that link.
For now, this is the current information. However, I’m not sure if they upload another document if that link will be static, so I would check back to this link to make sure you have the most recent info.
DANE COUNTY HOMELESS OUTREACH SERVICES
Street Outreach Providers
Dane County, Wisconsin
www.danecountyhomeless.orgThis list is intended for situations where a person notices someone is sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation and wants to ensure they are connected to services. This list will help assist in making the appropriate referral. Please note that this list is not intended to help in emergency situations. Also, you may not get a call back when you make the referral. Please trust that the outreach provider got the message and is acting on it.
Street Outreach Services include:
- Making contacts and developing relationships with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness
- Connection to services such as medical, mental health, and AODA treatment, employment, and long-term supportive services
- Connection to housing including Coordinated Entry System assessment and referral
- Coordinated Entry is the system for connecting people experiencing a housing crisis to the appropriate services. This may include assessment and referral to the housing priority list. Outreach staff may serve as Coordinated Entry mobile hubs.
- Connection to basic needs resources including survival gear
Briarpatch Street Outreach: Coordinated Entry Mobile Hub
Coverage: Dane County
Target Population: Youth up to age 24
Contact: Tyler Schueffner, (608) 819-3766, tyler.schueffner@briarpatch.org Program Referrals: https://goo.gl/forms/HRUK9mzaRbH4w9qS2Sankofa Behavioral and Community Health: Coordinated Entry Mobile Hub
Coverage: City of Madison, focusing on Downtown Madison, East Washington, Park Street, and any other locations where a group of people are sleeping outside
Outreach Schedule: Walk-in Hours:
The Beacon 615 E Washington Ave Room 208: Wednesdays 8AM-Noon
Operation Welcome Home office, 30 W. Mifflin St, 7th Floor, Suite 702: Mondays 9-5 and Fridays Noon-5PM
Target Population: people experiencing unsheltered homelessness; people who have frequent contacts with police
Contact: Kayla Choice-Richey, (608) 616-9486, kaylac@sankofabch.org
Charisse Daniels, Lead Outreach Worker, charissed@sankofabch.orgPorchlight: Coordinated Entry Mobile Hub
Coverage: City of Madison, focusing on remote or isolated sites, woods, and outside of Downtown Madison Target Population: Campers
Contact: Will Brewer, (608) 333-1969, wbrewer@porchlighinc.org OR Ben Jackson, (608)698-2777 bjackson@porchlightinc.orgTellurian: Coordinated Entry Mobile Hub
Coverage: Dane County
Outreach Schedule: Friday afternoons
Target Population: People experiencing homelessness who have a serious & persistent mental illness
Contact: Rachel Kaiser, (608) 354-4747, rkaiser@tellurian.orgFriends of the State Street Family
Provides friendship, compassion, hope, and dignity through conversations and 1:1 connections by outreach team members. Partners with service providers & fellow outreach teams; provides a variety of emergency needs when the primary agency is out of funding or items. Street outreach teams determine distribution where safety is a factor, including the following items: winter wear, sleeping bags, Citypaks, boots for employment, shoes, boots, socks, underwear, and basic hygiene items to maintain safety and basic comfort. Advocates for housing first lists.
Coverage: Dane County, mostly Capitol Square and State Street
Target Population: People experiencing homelessness
Outreach Schedule: Sunday-Friday, 6PM-9PM; Office hours: Wednesday Community Breakfast at FUMC 9-11AM;
Sunday at The Beacon 1-2PM
Contact: Voice to text Outreach line: 608-535-9394 or e-mail communications@friendsofthestatestreetfamily.orgMeriter HEALTH Outreach Program
Coverage: Dane County
Target Population: Those who need help to overcome barriers to health care – transportation, lack of insurance, etc.
Outreach Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, street hours vary
Contact: Matt Julian, (608)516-1322, matt.julian@unitypoint.orgVeterans Medical Center Homeless Program
Information and referral to VA and non-VA housing resources. Referral to VA Benefits and Healthcare.
Case management, Education, Advocacy
Coverage: Dane County (Also cover Columbia, Crawford, Dodge, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Marquette, Richland, Rock, Sauk and Walworth Counties)
Target Population: Veterans experiencing homelessness
Outreach Schedule: Walk in Hours:
345 W Washington Ave 5th Floor: Monday-Friday 8-10AM
The Beacon 615 E Washington Ave Room 208: Wednesdays 11AM-3PM
Porchlight Men’s Shelter Grace Church. Wednesdays: Summer Hours 7:30-10PM; Winter Hours 5-7PM
Madison Central Library 200 W Mifflin St Room 211: 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the Month 1-3PM
Contact: Angel Kinnie or Sarah Anderson (608) 280-2095, if not available ask for Outreach
Angel.kinnie2@va.gov or sarah.anderson4@va.gov
Supervisor: Elizabeth Morgan Elizabeth.Morgan2@va.govMadison Area Care for the Homeless (MACH) OneHealth: Street Health Team
Coverage: Downtown Madison, State St., Capitol Loop, Public Library corridor
Outreach Schedule: Thursday evenings 5-8pm winter (6-9pm the rest of the year)
Target Population: people experiencing unsheltered homelessness with medical needs
Contact: Bootsy Harden OD, MS, Project Coordinator, 608-239-6729 mobile charden@medicine.wisc.edu Ann Catlett MD, Medical Director, acatlett@medicine.wisc.edu
