RRR Services Street Medicine Health Literacy and Navigation Program

Health care access

South LA South Bay Long Beach

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness face compounded health risks due to exposure, poverty, and systemic inequities—conditions exacerbated by low health literacy, limited access to care, and mistrust of traditional healthcare systems. RRR Services seeks to address these disparities through a syndemic-informed, street medicine approach grounded in the social determinants of health. By scaling services across South LA, Long Beach, and South Bay, RRR Services meets individuals where they are—literally and culturally—offering health education, navigation, and direct care in the streets. Utilizing tools like the Healthy Places Index and Social Vulnerability Index, RRR Services targets high-need areas and tailors interventions to address racial and behavioral health disparities. This evidence-based, franchised model empowers unsheltered individuals with the knowledge and support to engage in preventive care, manage chronic conditions.

This grant will support RRR Services in scaling its innovative Street Medicine Health Literacy and Navigation Initiative across South Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the South Bay—regions with some of the highest rates of unsheltered homelessness and social vulnerability in California. The initiative is rooted in a syndemic framework that recognizes the interconnected impact of homelessness, chronic illness, behavioral health conditions, and structural racism. Through a mobile, community-embedded model, RRR Services deploys interdisciplinary street medicine teams that include healthcare providers, peer navigators with lived experience, and health educators. These teams deliver on-the-spot medical care, culturally responsive health education, and patient navigation services to individuals in encampments, alleys, and transit hubs.
The program integrates data-driven strategies using the Healthy Places Index and Social Vulnerability Index to identify high-need hotspots and prioritize outreach efforts. By enhancing health literacy and reducing barriers to care, this initiative supports individuals in managing chronic conditions, engaging in behavioral health treatment, and successfully linking to housing, primary care, and supportive services. Ultimately, the initiative aims to reduce health disparities, improve care outcomes, and empower unsheltered individuals with the knowledge and support necessary for long-term well-being.

If RRR Services' initiative is successful, Los Angeles County will see a transformative shift in how it engages and supports individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Our vision is to create a compassionate, street-level health forum where unsheltered individuals feel safe, seen, and supported in addressing their health needs. By offering culturally empathetic, trauma-informed, person-centered care, we aim to reduce preventable deaths—currently averaging 5 to 10 per day—and bridge gaps in health literacy, insurance access, and early intervention. Through mobile street medicine teams, we will empower people to understand their health conditions, navigate complex care systems, and access life-saving services. Long-term, RRR Services envisions a scalable model that integrates partnerships with healthcare providers and medical schools to expand across L.A. County. This initiative will reduce healthcare costs and emergency system burden that is more equitable Los Angeles for all.