Durham County has a lower population per provider ratio than the state as a whole, but these resources are not distributed evenly. The areas with the lowest per capita income are the areas with the least healthcare access. While this affects all residents, it is especially hard on the homeless, who generally have difficulty accessing health care, in part, because they don't have health insurance. However, several service providers in Durham target low-income community members. The Lincoln Community Health Center provides low cost and free care and an evening clinic at the city's homeless shelter. However, they do not provide in-patient care, so a patient must go to the Durham Regional Hospital if hospital admission is necessary. The Durham County Health Department provides education, communicable disease control, mother and child health services and dental health. The Durham Center, an outpatient community mental health organization, offers substance abuse treatment and general psychiatric and counseling services for children and adults on an outpatient basis. All these services are available to the homeless; however, barriers, like lack of knowledge, may exist that keep people from fully accessing them.
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