An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, such as those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or places not meant for habitation OR

An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence (within 14 days), provided that no subsequent housing has been identified and the individual/family lacks support networks or resources needed to obtain housing OR

Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children and youth who qualify under other Federal statutes, such as the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, have not had a lease or ownership interest in a housing unit in the last 60 or more days, have had two or more moves in the last 60 days, and who are likely to continue to be unstably housed because of disability or multiple barriers to employment OR

An individual or family who is fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, has no other residence, and lacks the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing

(SAMHSA 2022)

Have an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area AND

Do not have sufficient resources or support networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or place not meant for habitation AND

Exhibit one or more risk factors of homelessness, including recent housing instability or exiting a publicly funded institution or system of care such as foster care or a mental health facility

(SAMHSA 2022)

Black Indigenous People of Color

The term “BIPOC” is more descriptive than people of color or POC. It acknowledges that people of color face varying types of discrimination and prejudice. Additionally, it emphasizes that systemic racism continues to oppress, invalidate, and deeply affect the lives of Black and Indigenous people in ways other people of color may not necessarily experience. Lastly and significantly, Black and Indigenous individuals and communities still bear the impact of slavery and genocide.

BIPOC aims to bring to center stage the specific violence, cultural erasure, and discrimination experienced by Black and Indigenous people. It reinforces the fact that not all people of color have the same experience, particularly when it comes to legislation and systemic oppression.

(Kizha Davidson 2022)

Lesbian- A woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.

Gay- A person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to members of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.

Bisexual- A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender or gender identity though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with pansexual.

Transgender- An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.

Queer- A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream. Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.

Intersex- Intersex people are born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. There is a wide variety of difference among intersex variations, including differences in genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, internal sex organs, hormone production, hormone response, and/or secondary sex traits.

Asexual- Often called “ace” for short, asexual refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual activity with others. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction.

Plus (+)- This symbol recognizes that sexual orientation, gender, and identity is a spectrum with many intersections and nuances that one acronym cannot fully encompass

Learn more about different definitions at https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms

The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group. Recognizing that identity and issues pertaining to society are not singular or binary, but rather like an intricate web or a big railway system.

A system, like an individual, is not whole without looking at all the pieces that makes up someone’s identity. These are defined as the intersections of someone’s identity, which can evolved and change over time.

Therefore, when meeting with patients, it is vital to contextualize their health with their identity and experiences because these intersections can reveal so many clues on why someone is sick and how best to support them.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. (CDC)

The two most relevant sections of HIPAA are the Privacy and Security Rule

Privacy Rule- how protected health information (PHI) and treatment, payment, and operations (TPO) are regulated by HIPAA; when providing PHI, it is important to only provide what is absolutely necessary, do not disclose too much for safety/privacy. It is also vital to record all disclosures

List of protected information covered by PHI and TPO: Name, address, name of relatives, name of employers, date of birth, telephone number, fax number, e-mail address, social security number, medical record/account number, health plan number, certificate/license number, any vehicle or serial number, URL, finger or voice prints, photographic images, and any other unique identifying code or characteristic

Security Rule- Administrative, Physical, and Technical Safeguards; the implementation is flexible, meaning that each practice may adjust the 3 following safeguards to best address their patient and staff needs

Administrative Safeguards

1) Form privacy procedures and cite an appointed privacy official 2) Make sure to have ongoing PHI training 3) Ensure that any outside businesses that are involved with the running of the practice are also HIPAA compliant 4) Outline the priorities and guidelines in an event of an emergency 5) Plan for internal audits to monitor security violations 6) Create strategies to discover any security breaches or holes internally

Physical Safeguards

Ways for a practice to protect any information through physical barriers and tactics like multiple locks before accessing patient records or employing screen protectors that only allow anyone in front of a screen to see the information. This also involved making sure that patients, visitors, outside businesses, and vehicles are accounted for in case of any emergencies

Technical Safeguards

This guideline speaks specifically to how patient information is stored safely and protected with online and electronic systems.