Overnight mental health shelter opens

Homeless people experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues will have access to 24-hour care at a newly expanded program near San Francisco General Hospital, city officials announced today.

Hummingbird Place opened in 2015 as a day program offering peer counseling and support, but will now also offer overnight beds, showers and hot meals as well as access to services for clients needing a chance to regroup after a crisis, officials said.

Barbara Garcia, Director of Health, said the program will focus on helping “homeless people that have had multiple visits to hospitals due to psychiatric and addiction crisis.”

Managed by the nonprofit Positive Resource Center/Baker Places, the expanded program is expected to begin with four beds this month and reach 15 beds by December. It will take referrals from the hospital, from psychiatric emergency services and from homeless service providers.

Brett Andrews, CEO of PRC, said:

“As one of the only respite centers of its kind in the nation, Hummingbird Place is designed to help people who are not sick enough for the hospital, but they’re too ill to live on the streets or stay in a homeless shelter.”

Hummingbird Place will be considered part of The City’s network of “Navigation Center” homeless shelters. These shelters provide greater flexibility to clients, allowing them to keep their belongings, pets and partners with them, and offer intensive services and support.