{"id":63991,"date":"2022-05-23T09:35:46","date_gmt":"2022-05-23T15:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=63991"},"modified":"2022-06-07T08:46:35","modified_gmt":"2022-06-07T14:46:35","slug":"homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\/","title":{"rendered":"For those living on the streets, a path to housing and much better health"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Dave
Dave Shue has a roof over his head and is much healthier thanks to help from his UCHealth social worker and programs with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the City of Denver. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

David Shue was sleeping on cardboard behind an Aurora strip mall and drinking more than half a gallon of vodka and several beers a day last fall when he agreed to accept help from a kind hospital social worker.<\/p>\n

Months earlier, Dave lost six toes, three on each foot, after spending hours outdoors during a frigid, wet spring snowstorm.<\/p>\n

Living on the streets, shivering and waking every hour overnight had gotten too difficult.<\/p>\n

Dave had met his social worker, A.K. Kopperud, while being treated for frostbite and alcohol addiction at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a>. The men kept in touch.<\/p>\n

Close to Thanksgiving, Dave was ready to accept help. A.K. had good news. Thanks to a new housing transitions program, A.K. could help Dave embark on a path to permanent housing.<\/p>\n

Dave had borrowed a friend\u2019s phone and left word for A.K. about where he was living. A.K. headed out to look for Dave and almost had to give up on finding him. Then, he searched one more time behind the T.J. Maxx store. He saw some cardboard move near a concrete stairwell, and a face appeared. It was Dave.<\/p>\n

\"Dave
Dave Shue lost six toes to frostbite during a spring snowstorm in Denver last year. He was homeless then. His feet are doing better and Dave now has a roof over his head. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That day, A.K. connected Dave with case workers from<\/a> the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless in Denver, who helped Dave find a room in a motel that the City of Denver rented through a program to get people off the streets during the pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dave has lived at the motel west of downtown Denver ever since and now qualifies for permanent housing. After getting a roof over his head, his health improved significantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t had any seizures since moving in here,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve gotten back on all my prescriptions. I take my medications more seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dave also hasn\u2019t needed to visit an ER or stay in a hospital since getting his motel room. That means his health is better and taxpayers who fund Medicaid are saving thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n

While Dave hasn\u2019t given up alcohol completely, he no longer drinks any hard liquor or uses illegal drugs. He\u2019s down to drinking a couple of beers a day. He\u2019s keeping in touch regularly with A.K. and his doctors and is getting injections to treat spinal pain after a car slammed into him while he was riding a bike a few years ago.<\/p>\n

Now 52, Dave has a twinkle in his eye. He likes making jokes about the little toddler boot he keeps on his cane. It\u2019s a play on his last name. He\u2019s a \u2018Shue\u2019 who sports a cute shoe.<\/p>\n

\"David
David Shue used to live behind a T.J. Maxx store in Aurora until he got help from a social worker and a Denver homeless coalition. Now he’s doing well and has a great sense of humor. Here he shows off his cane with a little shoe on the end. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dave has a phone now and calls his mom in Ohio every day to let her know how he\u2019s doing. He has a twin brother and the two always vied against each other in everything from chores to sports. Dave started working when he was just 14, cutting grass and hauling lumber at constructions sites. He\u2019s applying that same work ethic to his life now. He wants to serve as a good example for others who are experiencing housing instability.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a competitive guy. I want to show other people that they can do this,\u201d Dave said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the first time in my life, I\u2019m doing this for me,\u201d he said of his well-being and his much-reduced alcohol use.<\/p>\n

Dave says having a home \u2014 even a small motel room \u2014 means everything to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s security. It\u2019s my safe zone. I like taking showers. I like being clean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once addicted to \u2018everything,\u2019 now seizure free<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dave grew up in Ohio in a family where alcohol abuse was common. He got drunk for the first time at age 11 and eventually became addicted to nearly every substance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done everything there is to do. I\u2019ve been through cocaine addiction, heroin addiction, alcohol addiction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"A.K.
UCHealth social worker, A.K. Kopperud, left, helped Dave Shue get off the streets. Here, the two talk at the motel where Dave has been staying since November when Kopperud and case workers at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless connected Dave with long-term housing. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even so, Dave managed to work construction jobs for 27 years.<\/p>\n

He came to Colorado from Ohio in 2001 and did well finding construction work, but also racked up convictions for drug charges and riding in a stolen car.<\/p>\n

Dave served time in county jails, then when he was released, his alcohol use other health problems worsened. As a result, he had multiple ER visits and long, costly stays at various hospitals in Denver and Aurora.<\/p>\n

Back in 2018, Dave\u2019s second marriage had fallen apart. He was riding a bike while drunk when a car hit him. He suffered multiple injuries that still haunt him today.<\/p>\n

Chronic homelessness and health setbacks became Dave\u2019s norm.<\/p>\n

In October of 2020, he fell on a rock and shattered his knee. He received care at University of Colorado Hospital and had to spend weeks recovering. Doctors released Dave, but his wound became infected while living on the streets. He returned to the hospital and was transferred to UCHealth Broomfield Hospital in December, where he spent weeks recovering.<\/p>\n

Then in March of 2021, Dave had his terrible encounter with frostbite. Paramedics again brought Dave to University of Colorado Hospital. Medical providers pulled off his boots and found his toes frozen and black. Dave then spent three weeks in the UCHealth Burn and Frostbite Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Along with chronic pain, Dave also used to suffer regular seizures connected to his alcohol use. Before getting his motel room, he says he had 43 seizures in a single year.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I haven\u2019t had any. It\u2019s been 19 weeks and four days, and I haven\u2019t had any vodka or liquor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ready to find a home in Denver and reduce his alcohol use<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dave still remembers the day he met A.K. in the hospital.<\/p>\n

He trusted the veteran social worker immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely knew he cared,\u201d Dave said. \u201cHe was interested in assisting me to get off the streets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UCHealth
UCHealth social worker, A.K. Kopperud fist bumps Dave Shue. “I’m proud of you, man,” Kopperud said to Dave when he saw him recently. After being chronically homeless and more than half a gallon of vodka a day, Dave is much healthier now. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dave told A.K. that he wasn\u2019t ready to fully give up alcohol, but he still wanted help.<\/p>\n

A.K. had worked with many people like Dave during 11 years as case manager and team leader at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless before becoming a hospital social worker for UCHealth in 2018.<\/p>\n

While working at University of Colorado Hospital, A.K. found that many unhoused people repeatedly were seeking care at the hospital, and A.K. and his coworkers had few options to help them as they left.<\/p>\n

He felt called to assist.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my life\u2019s work,\u201d A.K. said of his advocacy for people who are struggling.<\/p>\n

So, A.K. and his UCHealth social work leaders, Amanda Van Andel and Katie Herrmann, collaborated with experts at the University of Colorado School of Medicine to apply for a grant from Colorado\u2019s Medicaid agency, the Health Care Policy and Financing Administration (HCPF). Managers at HCPF awarded the money to the CU School of Medicine and the Housing Transitions Program formally launched in August, 2021. A.K. and two other social workers, Avery Perry and Lia Ryan, help patients map out plans before they leave the hospital. They try to help patients find stable housing so they can be healthier over the long term and won\u2019t need to return to the hospital repeatedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe UCHealth mission is to improve lives. How better to do so?\u201d A.K. said.<\/p>\n

Over the years, A.K. learned the value of a \u201chousing first\u201d approach. Many people who are living on the streets are dealing with complex problems like addiction and mental illness. Without homes, it\u2019s tough to work on other challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving housing helps people move toward recovery and better health,\u201d A.K. said. \u201cWhether you are empathetic like me or you\u2019re a pragmatic realist, we all know that few people can engage in post-hospital care without a place to live. Giving people access to a safe physical space gives them peace of mind so they can do the hard work of taking care of their health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Andel, who manages social work services for ambulatory clinics at University of Colorado Hospital, oversees the Housing Transitions Program. In addition to supporting the patient outreach work, UCHealth funds beds at Beacon Place<\/a>, a Colorado Coalition for the Homeless respite program in Denver and at the Comitis Crisis Center<\/a>, a homeless shelter close to the hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The
The social work team members who are helping patients at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital find more stable housing options includes (from left to right): Lia Ryan, Avery Perry, Amanda Van Andel and A.K. Kopperud. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Path to permanent housing with help from homeless coalition in Denver<\/strong><\/h2>\n

During a recent visit to see Dave, A.K. marveled at how well his client is doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so proud of you man,\u201d A.K. said as he greeted Dave.<\/p>\n

Dave\u2019s feet are healing nicely from the frostbite and spinal injections keep his back pain in check. The contrast from months ago is startling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I met Dave, he was chronically drinking. He went from cycling in and out of hospitals, living behind a store and eking out an existence to engaging with us and getting healthier. He\u2019s completely thriving,\u201d A.K. said.<\/p>\n

\"Dave
During a spring snowstorm last year, Dave was homeless and lost six toes. When snow hit in May of this year, Dave was grateful to be warm and sleeping in a Denver motel. He keeps his room neat and, out of habit, still uses his sleeping bag. Photo by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dave likes to call A.K. with progress reports. A.K. credits Dave with all of his accomplishments.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is to provide people with alternatives. We\u2019re in the opportunity business. We provide pathways to recovery. What patients do with those opportunities is up to them,\u201d A.K. said.<\/p>\n

Dave is proud of his room at the motel. He keeps it tidy and stretches his sleeping bag out over the clean, white sheets.<\/p>\n

Out of habit, he still sleeps in the bag, not on the sheets.<\/p>\n

As he surveys his room, he sees a home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll shed a tear and tell you, \u2018I\u2019m proud of myself.\u2019 If it wasn\u2019t for A.K. and the Coalition for the Homeless, I\u2019d be on the street and stuck in a rut. Now I have a bed, a shower, a refrigerator, a microwave and counselors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David Shue was sleeping on cardboard behind an Aurora strip mall and drinking more than half a gallon of vodka and several beers a day last fall when he agreed to accept help from a kind hospital social worker. Months earlier, Dave lost six toes, three on each foot, after spending hours outdoors during a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2123,"featured_media":64000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[3921],"class_list":["post-63991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-community-benefits-report"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFor those living on the streets, a path to housing and better health - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By working with a Denver homeless coalition, hospital social workers are helping patients find stable housing and better health.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For those living on the streets, a path to housing and much better health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By working with a Denver homeless coalition, hospital social workers are helping patients find stable housing and better health.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-23T15:35:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-07T14:46:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/05\/23092531\/Lead-pic-tiny.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d43cd81d6f8e440a3e496f8a012c68e9\"},\"headline\":\"For those living on the streets, a path to housing and much better health\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-05-23T15:35:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-07T14:46:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2020,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2022\\\/05\\\/23092531\\\/Lead-pic-tiny.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Community Benefits Report\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/homeless-find-path-to-housing-and-better-health-in-denver\\\/\",\"name\":\"For those living on the streets, a path to housing and better health - 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