Placerville area homeless helped by collaboration led by El Dorado County Sheriff's Office

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - "Instead of trying to find a way to eliminate the homeless, we now have the ability to change homelessness with a new approach - and it is working," said current El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) Detective Chris Macras when South Tahoe Now spent a day with him and the EDSO HOT team in 2017.

HOT, the department's Homeless Outreach Team, works with the hundreds of homeless on the west slope of the county with a goal of getting them housed. Back then they wanted to have a team approach to serving the homeless with what they need including medical care, mental health evaluations, drug and alcohol addiction services.

Their approach continues to grow and be successful, and for the first time, HOT, in collaboration with EDC Behavioral Health, Mental Health and Community Health, Marshall Medical, The Lighted Candle, Walmart, JOBS & Shelters of the Sierras and Capital Aire Systems brought a variety of resources into the field to reach the homeless population where they live.

The Sheriff's Office recently had a trailer built that can be pulled around with HOT as they meet with the homeless where they live instead of having them come to the resources.

On Wednesday, May 29, they set it up at Walmart in Placerville and joined with those other resources in providing everything from wound care and education to substance abuse and mental health counseling. There was also clothing, camping supplies, and free laundry service.

Collectively the outreach team was able to provide services to 25 homeless individuals in the following capacity:

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FIELD ASSESSMENTS PERFORMED:

• 7 – This is the initial screening for entry/assessment to receive a funding package and treatment via rehab/transitional housing.

TYPES OF DONATIONS:

• 8 Loads of laundry completed • 250 gallons of water • Supplies for wound care • Camping supplies/toiletries • Clothing/Shoes/ Cold weather • Feminine hygiene

HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED:

• Wound care – Training and take-a-long supplies provided

• Assessment of ongoing issues/ailments, including; Cancer, Dental, Infections, Skin Irritation, Allergies, and Women’s Health.

COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED:

• PTSD • Family Counseling • Substance Abuse • Physical abuse • Sexual assault

"We want to thank everyone involved for their time, effort, and knowledge to help the homeless individuals in our community," said EDSO Sgt. Anthony Prencipe.