What is the Shelter Specific Model? (SSM)

Like all of our amazing patients, every community has different needs that require customized and specific solutions. This is why each or our partner organizations has a dedicated team of directors and members that curate event programming. Our goal is to innovate new ways to improve health and wellness outcomes among the individuals we work with.

Clinic and Connections Program

Our Clinic aspect focuses on the preventative health testing, vaccine clinic, and health fair aspects of our organization. Clinic days are always an amazing time for our undergraduate volunteers to put their medical knowledge and patient communication skills in to practice. During these clinics, we also have an attending physician and/or physician's assistant (PA) from USC Keck Medicine. Mobile Clinic volunteers largely focus their efforts on forming connections above all else, valuing trust over rushing patients through their tests, We also emphasize patient education and health awareness during our clinics, but in many cases our patients are completely on top of their health! Our goal is to enable our patients to continue working towards their health goals with the support of our volunteers and medical attending.

Our Connections aspect is integral to the success of Mobile Clinic's health initiatives. We strongly believe that the health of our mind and soul are interconnected with our physical well-being. We host wellness days, game nights, and health education workshops at the same shelters that we have clinics. On these days, volunteers and residents have the chance to share life stories, compete in an intense round of UNO, or paint and relax. This year, one of our goals is to use donor contributions to increase our our Shelter Program's ability to distribute necessities like feminine products and wellness kits. Additionally, we have been using this time to raise awareness of the upcoming clinic day(s).

Community Health Outreach Program

The Community Health Outreach Program is an initiative started in 2022 that allows us to bring health to more individuals in the greater Los Angeles area. Our dedicated team plans and staff booths at health fairs where we screen health fair participants for diabetes and hypertension. This program is also largely committed to breaking down barriers for health literacy through creating easy to read health sheets and promoting linguistic accessibility.

General Education Diploma (GED) Program

The General Education Diploma (GED) tutoring program is a partnership between Mobile Clinic at USC and The Midnight Mission on Skid Row that started in 2019. Undergraduate students volunteer their time to tutor residents of The Midnight Mission, an organization on Skid Row, who are all hoping to obtain their GED. Subjects range from language arts, science, and math.

Our GED program, although not healthcare focused, is still a special part of our program. Once a week, Mobile Clinic members tutor individuals at the Midnight Mission shelter who are hoping to obtain their GED. With their diploma, these individuals are able to get a job or continue into higher education. We recognize that health and wellness is multifaceted, which is why we dedicate time and resources to education programs that empower the community members we work with to enter a new chapter in their lives.

The solution to homelessness is complex and multifaceted, but assisting residents in receiving their GED, though small in scale, will better prepare residents for entry-level jobs and other opportunities to improve their life’s trajectory.

Our Partners

Our Partner