Social Services
Most of what determines your health happens outside a clinic. Where you live, whether you can afford food, whether you have a ride to an appointment, whether anyone speaks your language, whether you feel safe at home. Researchers call these the social determinants of health, and they account for far more of how long and how well people live than medical care does.
HAVEN's Social Services department exists to treat those factors as seriously as we treat blood pressure. We screen every patient for unmet social needs, connect you with programs and benefits you qualify for, help you complete the applications, and follow up until something has actually changed.
What we are not is a social service agency. We do not house people, pay bills, or provide licensed social work or crisis intervention. What we do is know the system, sit with you while you apply, and keep asking until you have what you need.
Screening, Then Follow-Through
We screen
At your visit, we ask about food, housing, utilities, transportation, safety, language, and legal needs. Not as small talk, as part of the medical record.
We find the right resource
Whatever you flag, we match to a specific program, agency, or benefit you are eligible for, and we help you fill out the application.
We follow up
A referral is not a result. We check back at your next visit to see whether it worked, and start again if it did not.
Working with your navigator. Social Services and Patient Navigation work as one. Whatever you flag on a screening becomes part of the care plan your navigator tracks between visits.
Try the Screening Yourself
These are the same kinds of questions our team asks at a visit. Check anything that applies to you to see what support exists, then bring what you checked to your next appointment so we can start on it together.
This screening is completely private. Your answers stay on your device. Nothing is saved, sent, or shared.
Social Service Resources
We connect patients with local food pantries, community meals, and supplemental food programs. Additionally, we support eligible patients in applying for SNAP and WIC benefits.
Speak with our social services team during your visit or email hfc.social.services@yale.edu for more information.
Stable housing is essential to good health. Our social services team can help connect you with housing resources and support in the New Haven area.
What we can do
- Refer you to shelters, housing programs, and legal aid
- Help you apply for rental and utility assistance
- Walk you through 211 and the coordinated access network
- Follow up with you about it at your next visit
What we cannot do
- Place you in housing or assign you a shelter bed
- Pay your rent, deposit, or utility bills
- Provide licensed social work or crisis intervention
- Act as your legal representative in an eviction
- Referrals to emergency shelters and transitional housing programs
- Assistance with rental aid applications and utility/energy assistance programs via 211, which is a free, confidential information and referral service in Connecticut that connects people to essential health and human services.
- 211 can offer resources in food access, housing, transportation, utility assistance, and more.
- To learn more about 211, dial 2-1-1 or visit their website at https://www.211ct.org/.
- Referral to legal aid for tenants facing eviction or unsafe living conditions, including our own Medical-Legal Partnership
- Support navigating the coordinated access network (CAN) for housing placement in Connecticut
If you are experiencing homelessness or housing instability, please let any member of our care team know so we can begin connecting you with resources right away.
Getting to an appointment should not be the reason you miss it. If transportation is a barrier for you, tell any member of your care team and we will work through the options with you.
We can arrange a ride to clinic
HAVEN can provide Uber Health ride vouchers at no cost to you for getting to and from a HAVEN appointment. You do not need a smartphone or an Uber account. Ask your care team, your patient navigator, or the front desk at least a few days before your visit so we can set it up. Vouchers are limited, so tell us early if you need one.
What we can do
- Arrange an Uber Health voucher for a HAVEN visit when you ask in advance
- Connect you with 211, which keeps current transportation resources for Connecticut
- Take transportation into account when we schedule your visits and referrals
- Flag it for your patient navigator so it is part of your care plan
What we cannot do
- Guarantee a voucher for every visit, or arrange one the same day
- Cover rides to appointments outside HAVEN, such as a specialist or a pharmacy
- Reimburse bus fare or gas you have already paid for
Remember that parking at the clinic is free in the Howard Avenue Garage if you are able to drive or get a ride.
For transportation resources beyond a clinic visit, dial 2-1-1 or visit 211ct.org.
Finding and maintaining employment can be a key part of overall well-being. We can help connect you with job readiness and workforce development resources in New Haven.
- Referrals to local workforce development programs and job training opportunities
- Help with resume writing and interview preparation through community partners
- Connection to adult education and GED programs
- Information about workers' rights and employment protections
Ask our social services team for a personalized referral based on your goals and experience.
We are committed to providing care in a language you are comfortable with. HAVEN offers interpretation services and can connect you with English language learning resources.
- In-person and phone interpretation available during clinic visits in Spanish and other languages
- Referrals to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses offered in the New Haven community
- Translated health education materials available for common conditions
- If you need an interpreter, please let us know when scheduling your appointment by calling (203) 200-0673
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and 24/7.
Feeling unsafe at home or in a relationship affects your health directly, and it is something you can raise with any member of your care team, privately. You will not be pushed into any decision you are not ready to make.
What we can do
- Talk with you privately, away from anyone who came with you
- Refer you confidentially to domestic violence and safety services
- Connect you with our Medical-Legal Partnership for protective orders and housing safety
- Document injuries in your medical record if you want that
What we cannot do
- Provide crisis intervention or emergency shelter placement
- Offer licensed counseling or therapy
- Respond outside our Saturday clinic hours
Free, confidential, 24/7 — you can call these yourself:
- CT Safe Connect, Connecticut's domestic violence hotline: (888) 774-2900
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
- Connecticut 211 for shelter and support services: 2-1-1
Some health problems have a legal cause: a landlord who will not fix mold, a benefits application wrongly denied, an immigration matter hanging over everything else. Through our Medical-Legal Partnership, HAVEN patients can be referred to attorneys for free civil legal help.
- Housing conditions, eviction, and tenants' rights
- Public benefits that were denied or terminated
- Health insurance denials and appeals
- Protective orders and family safety matters
- Certain immigration and employment matters
Mention it to your care team or your patient navigator and they will make the referral. The Medical-Legal Partnership cannot represent you in a criminal case, and it takes referrals from HAVEN rather than walk-ins.
Connecticut 211
211 is a free, confidential service available 24/7. It connects you to essential health and human services across Connecticut: food, housing, utility assistance, transportation, and more. You do not need to be a HAVEN patient to use it.
Where This Leads
Social needs are rarely one-off. The point of screening for them is to feed a longer plan.