Greater Seattle cares (www.greaterseattlecares.org) is a very small non-profit organization that provides regular logistical support to 4 of the 12 homeless encampments in the Puget Sound area, as well as sporadic support to many others.
In conjunction with the dental program, a collaboration with Medical Teams International, they have also been running a denture program to help patients identified on the MTI van as needing dentures or other follow-up care. They work with Seattle Dental and Denture Arts on 3rdAve. in downtown Seattle to get these patients the care they need that cannot be provided on the mobile clinic. This means a lot of patient navigation – helping patients make appointments, checking in to see if they went, helping them take the next step.
As both the frequency of the MTI visits and the number of patients needing follow-up care grows, Greater Seattle Cares needs help with this program! Descriptions of these positions can be found on our website at http://greaterseattlecares.org/ways-to-help/volunteer-opportunities/volunteer-opportunities-operations/
Mobile Clinic Volunteer
- Description:The Mobile Clinic Volunteers provide on-site coordination when the Medical Teams International (MTI) dental van comes to Tent City 3 (TC3). Their responsibilities include:
o Assure that the patients on the sign-up sheet are ready to be seen when the dentist is ready.
o Make sure the patients fill out the necessary paperwork in the chart.
o Make sure the charts are returned to the Dental Program Manager after the clinic is over.
o Provide a list to the Dental Program Manager of patients who need follow-up services.
- Level of Commitment:One shift (either 7-11 am or 11 am-3 pm) on the Saturdays when MTI comes to TC3.
- Duration:At least two shifts over the course of a year.
- When/Where:The MTI mobile clinic visits TC3 one Saturday per month, providing services between 8:00 – 2:00. The location varies, as TC3 moves from site to site every three months, usually somewhere on the west side of Lake Washington, from Shoreline to Tukwila.
- Skills/Tools:Responsible, organized, non-judgmental. You will need your own transportation to get to the clinics sites.
- Committee Chair:Cindy Roat
Dental Case Manager
- Description:The Dental Case Manager helps find services for patients who need more care than they can receive on the Medical Teams International (MTI) Mobile Dental Clinic. Greater Seattle Cares works with a dentist and denturist in downtown Seattle, as well as with Project Access Northwest at Swedish Medical Center. Some camp residents just need the phone numbers, others need assistance in setting up appointments, while some actually need to be taken to appointments or taken back to camp after oral surgery. Many need help in navigating the system and they all benefit from having someone who cares about how the appointment went and how they’re recuperating. Each Dental Case Manager will start navigating one patient and may take on more depending on interest and commitment.
- Level of Commitment:A half-hour per week for the course of the needed treatment. The need can be as short as one phone call or as long as 6 months, depending on the patient.
- Duration:One year commitment is requested
- When/Where:Varies by location of the homeless camps; denturist and dental schools are in Seattle but much work can be done by phone.
- Skills/Tools:Responsible, organized, non-judgmental, patient. Good communication and follow up skills, positive attitude, access to a phone.
- Committee Chair:Cindy Roat
Dental Program Manager
- Description:The Dental Program Manager oversees the dental program, acting as a liaison between Tent City 3 (TC3) and Medical Teams International (MTI), and coordinating the all the dental program volunteers. The Program Manager:
o Stores a locked filing cabinet with the dental charts.
o In coordination with MTI and Husky Health Bridge (HHB), arranges dates for the MTI dental clinic to visit TC3 or other homeless encampments supported by Greater Seattle Cares.
o Informs SHARE’s Tent City Organizer of the clinic dates.
o Delivers an appointment sign-up sheet to camp a week before the clinic date, either in person or through the SHARE TCO.
o Calls the camp on the Friday before the clinic to get patients’ names; pulls charts for patients who have been seen before.
o Makes up blank charts.
o Delivers all charts (blank and for prior patients) to the Mobile Clinic Volunteer or to the camp the morning of the clinic.
o Assures pick up of the charts and secure storage after the clinic.
o Finds Dental Case Managers to work with patients who need follow-up care.
o Provide an informal monthly email report to the Greater Seattle Cares board about dental program activity.
- Level of Commitment:About 3-4 hours per clinic.
- Duration:One year commitment is requested.
- When/Where:One week a month before a scheduled clinic; work can be done from home.
- Skills/Tools:Excellent organizational skills, good communication and follow up skills; your own transportation to be used to get to Tent City 3.
- Committee Chair:Cindy Roat
Please email Manvir Kaur at manvirk@uw.edu if you are interested in any of these volunteer positions.
