COVINGTON, Ky. — Finding a safe place to call home is a challenge for many, especially those facing health disparities. However, a pilot partnership between Welcome House and FwdSlash is working to expand access to housing and provide educational knowledge on health care benefits.
Welcome House has a long history of providing emergency shelter and transitional housing. Now, working in partnership with FwdSlash, they’re taking it a step forward, offering innovative social services.
For Nancy Banier, a Social Determinants of Health program participant, who lived in her car for two years this opportunity means everything.
“Thank God... I got picked,” Bainer said. “Now these wonderful people have been working with me to get me housed.”“Thank God... I got picked,” Bainer said. “Now these wonderful people have been working with me to get me housed.”
Amanda Couch, interim CEO of Welcome House, said programs like this can be life changing for those who don’t know all they have access to via Medicaid.
“We’re making sure that we’re bridging that gap by communicating with the case managers of the health of the MSOs (Management Services Organization), to be able to make sure that the participant understands what resource is are provided,” Couch said.
Couch said, in 2024, Welcome House served 3,000 individuals and about 170 families. However, in recent years. Couch said families have had to stay in temporary facilities far longer than usual.
“It used to be anywhere from 30 to 45 days. And now we’re seeing people staying a little bit longer, 60 to 90 days even longer,” Couch said.
Couch said those longer stays are due to health issues, housing availability and discrimination.
FwdSlash bridges those gaps, partnering with local nonprofits and managed care organizations to improve operations, manage housing initiatives, provide transportation and even food.
“We become the de facto landlord, making our units that we now have under our control available... to these folks who need housing units,” said Dr. Sameer Sood, CEO and co-founder of FwdSlash. “We’ve actually been able to reduce the time it takes to house someone from about 40 days, down to... five or so.”
FwdSlash is already working in several states including West Virginia, California, North Carolina and Kentucky, and hope other MCO’s will adopt the model.
For Bainer, she’s ready for her next chapter.
“It feels different to say, ‘I’m going home’”, she said. “And I go home with my dog.”
