The Baltimore Station, an organization that supports individuals dealing with homelessness and substance use disorder by providing residential and community based therapy programs, and the Maryland Chapter of the International College of Dentists (ICD), the leading international honor society for dentists, recently launched a partnership to provide dental care for homeless veterans who are part of The Baltimore Station’s programs.
The unique partnership, which is the first of its kind for The Baltimore Station and one of the only programs specifically for homeless veterans, pairs residents of The Baltimore Station with dentists throughout the Baltimore metro who volunteer to provide services, free of charge. The veterans will receive services that range from fillings and extractions to cleanings and partial and complete dentures.
“At The Baltimore Station, we’re committed to helping the residents get back on their feet and this partnership is just one component of an overall strategy that helps guide residents back into society. Not only are the men practicing interacting with others and getting to and from appointments, but having a smile that they can be proud of gives the men the confidence to go out into the world--to look for a job, reconnect with loved ones, find a home, etc,” said John Friedel, executive director at The Baltimore Station.
The partnership was initiated after Dr. James Taneyhill, the Deputy Regent of the Maryland Chapter of the ICD, approached The Baltimore Station about the possibility of pairing local ICD member dentists with veterans from The Baltimore Station who needed dental care but did not qualify for veteran services.
“These veterans have given so much to protect our country that this is our small way to say, ‘thank you’ and to give back to a group of citizens who need support,” said Dr. Taneyhill. “Good oral hygiene has a positive impact on overall health that can extend into so many areas of one’s life. We hope that by giving these veterans their smiles back, we can play a small part in their road to success.”
There are currently 12 ICD members from throughout the region participating in the program with the goal of having 50 men receive services by the end of 2019. Since its launch, dentists have already provided more than $50,000 in services. In addition to the free services, the ICD have provided a $7,500 grant to support The Baltimore Station Dental Outreach Program, which will allow residents to receive preventative dental care services, something many of them do not have access to.
About The Baltimore Station
The Baltimore Station provides therapeutic residential and community-based outpatient treatment programs to individuals—primarily veterans—dealing with homelessness and substance use disorder. Its innovative programming helps break the cycle of poverty and supports individuals as they become self-sufficient members of society. Accredited by one of the nation’s most prestigious accrediting bodies for rehabilitation facilities, The Baltimore Station is the area’s largest VA funded Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program and the only long-term residential program, providing up to 24 months of clinical care and life skills development to encourage a smoother transition to the real world and guaranteed lifelong success. In addition to its residential program, The Baltimore Station provides outpatient programming to provide therapeutic relapse prevention services to those recovering from substance use disorder and also workforce development programming that provides residential services that facilitate stabilization and transition to permanent housing and sustainable income. At The Baltimore Station, we turn lives around. www.baltimorestation.org.
About the International College of Dentistry
The International College of Dentists (ICD) is a leading international honor society for dentists, conceived in 1920 with over 11,000 members (designated as Fellows). Fellowship in the College is by invitation only and is granted in recognition of an individual dentist’s “outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service and dedication to the continued progress of dentistry for the benefit of humankind.”
