Harborview’s Homeless Palliative Care team is the nation’s first mobile outreach program supporting people experiencing homelessness who are also living with serious, life-threatening conditions such as cancer, heart failure, and end-stage diseases.

We partner with health and social service providers across King County to help patients navigate complex care systems from diagnosis through end of life. We travel to meet people wherever they live, sleep, or receive care including encampments, shelters, and permanent supportive housing buildings. We see patients with their case managers, primary care providers, and other medical specialists and often visit patients when admitted to Seattle-area hospitals.

Our interprofessional team specializes in relieving the symptoms and stress of serious illness to improve quality of life. We also help patients access care that matches their goals and values while planning for potential changes in their health. Our harm-reduction and trauma-informed approach centers on the value of relationships and the inherent dignity of our patients.

• Johnson, I.M., Light, M.A., Lewinson, T., Perry, T., & Moore, M. (2022). Understanding the ephemeral moment of COVID avoidance hotels: Lessons learned from acknowledging housing as central to dignified later life. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2022.2087129.
• Johnson, I.M. & Light, M.A. (2023). Pathways of Individuals Experiencing Serious Illness While Homelessness: An Exploratory 4-Point Typology from the RASCAL-UP Study. Journal of Social Work in End of Life & Palliative Care. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15524256.2023.2223772