In today’s Reader Views, Mary Caruso of Goddard (a WE Blog regular) draws an important connection between Wichita’s homeless problem and the closing of most of the state’s hospitals for severely mentally ill patients. “The theory that all people with severe mental illness can make it with community support services has been proved ineffective,” she wrote. “The answer is not building a 24-hour homeless shelter, but actually giving the mentally ill a place to live and the help they need.”
Turning back the clock in Topeka on community mental health care would be politically difficult, and surely an overreaction. But legislators should be looking at the intersection of these issues — and not viewing homelessness as a local problem.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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70 Comments
Homelessness and mental illness intersect
Wow! I’ll bet that took the Eagle using a Crey computer to put that one together.
While everybody applauds Mary for her editorial article, re-opening closed down state mental institutions isn’t the answer, in my opinion.
1st problem is the cost. With the State of Kansas shoving most of it’s money to government schools and tie in other social program costs and infrastructures needs, the State of Kansas won’t be able to afford the expense of opening up more mental institutions.
2nd is the government accountability of mental institutions. For many decades, mental institutions have been the most neglected and patient abused places than any other social institutionalize system. Not just the USA, but around the world. While I’m not saying that the USA is still conducting experiments, shock treatments, lock the door and throw away the key to it’s mental patients, they pretty much stop that in the 70’s. But it’s still not a pretty place.
You just have to dig up recent news on Larned State Mental Hospital to know that neglect and gross violations still exist.
Nobody wants to be institutionalized. Nobody! Either it be a person suffering from mental illness, a criminal going to prison, or an orphan or neglected child under the state custody system. Nobody wants to be trapped and locked up against their will. I understand some people need to or deserve it (criminals), but mental institutions do nothing to help people suffering from mental illness go back to a independent life.
Mental institutions only lock people up and administer their medications. They have nothing on re-introducing people back into normal lives.
There are programs that help mentally ill people to do that and they do a much better job of helping them become independent than mental institutions and those the the programs we need to expand, and on top of that, it’s a whole lot cheaper to do.
Programs like ComCare and Breakthrough Club does a much better job at that. Not only do they monitor patients medication intake and SSDI checks, they also have programs to help budget their finance, how to live independently and also have trips and activities where mental ill people can get together and learn how to be around and cope with other people, such as dances, bowling, miniature golf, going to the zoo and museums and etc. These help mental ill people become active, establish friendships and support network with others and it helps them deal with being out in the public and to cope with it.
While I will disagree about having a homeless shelter that’s just a building with cots everywhere, what we need is an apartment complex that helps mental ill people learn to be on their own and be independent, such as paying bills, washing their own clothes and dishes and etc. Their own independent living space, but still have the support network.
Some cities are doing this and Wichita is starting to do this, but needs to expand on it.
The one thing I can say is that I have a very personal and 1st hand experience in this, so I know what works and what doesn’t. Mental institutions doesn’t work.
I understand that most homeless people are mentally ill and some are transient, but we shouldn’t just round them up and send them to a mental institution. What they need is somebody to wrap and arm around them and to help them live independently.
At the risk of getting back on my soapbox and sounding redundant, I will post again some research. There IS another alternative that is proven effective for treatment as well as being more cost effective. The up front costs I believe would be higher, but the long term effects of actually “curing” chronic homelessness is actually cheaper in the long run.
http://www.pathwaystohousing.org/Articles/Research.html
There needs to be a way to force a patient to take medicine, when not doing so puts society at risk from said patient.
Joe, I understand what you are saying, and I am not sure I disagree. However, you cannot make people bee involved in such a program. That is the first flaw in the logic of both you and Mary. You cannot hold people against their will.. THe second you mention, financing. Difficult for the government to add any more recipients, even if they are worthy, with the shortfalls we have. Perhaps we cut back on serving others? I am not hacking here, just wondering aloud where the funds would come from.Better than the government, start a 501c3. Gather funds. Just do it. That sounds superflous. I do not mean it to be so. My point is, is it not easier to convince those of like mind, and ample cash, to give tax deductible gifts to found and fund such operations, than try and drag every (or most)already tax burdened individuals to turn over more money to the state to fund such a program?
Thanks for the post, Joe. What I think you and Rhonda are missing is that community mental health has never really been implemented because it has never been funded. The state had a mantra “the dollars will follow the patients [to the communities]” – good mantra, it just never happened, was the only problem.
The state prisons and county jails have become our state hospitals. That is a better deal for mentally ill people?
There certainly are improvements that need to be made in the state hospital systems. Saying we are providing community alternatives, when we really aren’t, is not the answer in my opinion.
I think Mary C. has it spot-on. In the day of state hospitals, the state and communities shared in the responsibility of mentally ill citizens. Maybe the answer is not big institutions far away from a patient’s home and family, but the state helping communities financially, needs to be part of the answer.
It’s a sad commentary when jails have to house the mentally ill for their own welfare. So much better than institutions with Dr.s and nurses on hand.
“There needs to be a way to force a patient to take medicine, when not doing so puts society at risk from said patient.”
This in fact does exist in state statute, i.e. If a person is imminently dangerous to self or others. The problem becomes, how imminent does imminent have to be? Most courts seem to think that you have to be threatening suicide, or homicide, to reach this marker. I think that is unfortunate. I think the standard should be: this person’s usual (non psychotic) functioning is severely hampered by their current mental status – or, is it reasonably foreseeable (using the man-the-street test) that a person will become a danger to themselves if this psychosis continues.
I am not interested in criminalizing psychosis or mental illness, it is just that mentally ill individuals, and their families sometimes have to suffer greatly, to get the help they need.
I have never known a mentally ill person who was forced into chemical competency to ever complain about it or to state “Geez, why did you disrupt my psychosis, I was having so much fun in the state of mind.”
I should back up, I have known bipolar people who miss their mania. This factor was what led Kay Redfield Jamison to fight treatment compliance. She did not understand what she needed to do until she became psychotic and suicidal. At that point after, she was able to choose Lithium over mania and its problems. She is now on the faculty of Johns Hopkins and one of the nicest people I have ever met. Check out her book _An Unquiet Mind_ for a harrowing first hand account of her journey.
How many times has one read that the person who commits a violent act while under their psychosis, had previously gotten off their meds. for one reason or another. Maybe certain type illnesses (especially where there’s been a incident involving violating the law) should be legally ordered to take their meds. under medical supervision, even if it’s only on an outpatient or home type visit.
First not all homeless are mentally ill so locking up the mentally ill wont end homelessness. Sencond are state hospitals the answer theirs a reason they were closed, they were hellholes, Third I don’t trust the government I seen and read how the “State” treats wounded vets, and retirees, and mentally ill now and I’m not impressed. how many complaints were filed against the sickos in Newton who were abusing those in their care.
Maybe instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water, more oversight would correct the problems.
I have a sibling who is mentally ill. She also has drug and alcohol problems and she’s facing jail time for her acts in the past couple years. She is capable on her good days but she still needs help and she refuses to adhere to any program that does try to help her. Our family is exhausted (physically, mentally and financially) trying to help (not enable) her. On the numerous times she’s gone into treatment we have told them her history and begged the doctors, judges, etc to keep her for at least 30 days. Because of the current laws there is really nothing we can do, and every time she tells them what they want to hear and they let her out within 3 days to begin the vicious cycle again. I don’t know the answer, but I do know that someone like her won’t get the help she needs until she hurts herself or someone else again. It’s extremely frustrating and my folks are at their wits end dealing with this nightmare. How many times does someone have to hurt themselves or others before the family CAN have them committed for treatment? Families need a legal recourse.
It would be good to see people of goodwill from several viewpoints get together and try to address these issues. I think Mary hit a lot good points; so do Sam, Steven, Phanton, and Joe.
Part of the complication is that homelessness is a multi-faceted problem. Some are VERY ill and need to be institutionalized, some less so and need support, some not sick at all but fallen on hard times.
After a while, however, the latter groups can BECOME very sick out there.
Obviously a number of approaches will be needed to address these different populations.
Mary C – CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THIS STARTED!
Wichiwoman makes great points, from a very personal perspective. Unfortunately, mental illness is not a reason to hold someone against their will, so the courts have said. THey must be proven to be a danger to themselves or others, and not just by virture of their lifestyle. It makes treatment, basically, voluntary. SOme do well, many do not. THen they commit crimes. Then they are in the criminal system, which is not really where they need to be.I personally would agree that people under such conditions, and unable to maintain stability without drug therapy, should be able to held against their will until such time as stability can be achieved, and appreciated by the individual. That could be at the instigation of a family member, and heard by the courts.
Steven and Phantom:Exactly! My sister takes her meds until she either feels better (high mania), can’t afford them, or just doesn’t care. Then it’s off the deep end again, losing control and taking drugs or abusing alcohol, getting DUI’s, going to jail or a hospital, but never really resolving anything. We get phone calls all hours of the day and night from her, her neighbors or the police. Taxpayers already pay to subsidize her emergency room visits and jail time, so why not allow something that might actually make a difference?
“getting DUI’s, going to jail or a hospital”
“THey must be proven to be a danger to themselves or others,”
Sounds to me like the criteria for committment might be met.
Ben-
maybe. It certainly would be worth a try.
However, I don;t think any of those things are grounds for an involuntary commital to a psychiatric treatment facility.
still, worth a try
LJ,That’s the problem. Unless she’s actively trying to hurt herself, nothing can be done. She’s smart (or lucid) enough to know how the system works and that she’ll be locked up unless she cooperates, so she cooperates long enough to get out. It doesn’t matter to the doctors/legal system that the scenario will repeat itself in a matter of days.It’s to the point where some family members have basically written her off, the emotional roller coaster that we also endure is too great. It’s sad, but you can’t blame them either, one can only handle so much ‘drama’ before self-preservation kicks in.
Ben…
I have the non-Profit status if we can just get the plan together enough to start soliciting Donors! I planned one day to go to the churches for funds, but this issue is big enough for all of us to get involved with.
I was a case manager for COMCARE CSS for several years, and I can tell you, you cannot force people with a mental illness to take their meds. It was pounded in my head, however, that SPMI individuals are not the only group that does not take their medication for chronic conditions. How many of you know someone who does not take their blood pressure medicine regularly? or their insulin? or their seizure medication? It is difficult for anyone who has to take medication FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, to do it. Plus, a lot of the medications make the patients “feel like zombies”, some make them gain a LOT of weight in a short period of time, and until recently, some of the more powerful antipsychotic drugs caused parkinson like symptoms. Also, most of my clients had a dual diagnosis, both a mental illness and an addiction, whether it was alcohol, mj, crack, etc.
“It doesn’t matter to the doctors/legal system that the scenario will repeat itself in a matter of days. ”
See, it’s not that it doesn;t matter, it is that a court ruled that they have a right to not be commited, even for their own good.
Perhaps a statute could be created that would recognized repeated cycles, like your sibling, as a threat to herself. Maybe it would pass the court’s muster.
I do not have the answer, I wish I did. But as you well know, there is currently no easy answer, or maybe no answer at all.
In the meanwhile, I hope and pray that your family can withstand what is enduring. There is no easy road, or answers. Some must write her off for their own self preservationl. That should be their first concern. some will be able to endure, and continue to try and help those who don;t necessarily want or see the need for it. Very sad
have the non-Profit status if we can just get the plan together enough to start soliciting Donors! I planned one day to go to the churches for funds, but this issue is big enough for all of us to get involved with.
Posted by: kansassam | August 15, 2007 at 02:14 PM
My financial ability to contribute is small, but I would be glad to help
“Taxpayers already pay to subsidize her emergency room visits and jail time, so why not allow something that might actually make a difference?”
Very good point.
Sorry to hear about your sister.
“How many of you know someone who does not take their blood pressure medicine regularly? or their insulin? or their seizure medication?”
Very good point, too. I read an article not long ago about how prevalent it is for people to skip prescribed medicines – the situation was called “America’s hidden drug problem” – I can’t find a copy of the article, however.
lj…
sounds like we need another WE blog get together on this issue. If we could come up with some workable solutions, maybe we could engage the Homeless Coalition. I really want to keep this privately funded so it doesn’t cost tax dollars. We would definately need help from the City though, with zoning issues and possibly low cost funding.
TDT – and add to that ’self-medication’ in the wrong way (alcohol, etc). You and Mary especially have seen how difficult this all is; along with sam, wichiwomn, etc.
Mary is right about a need to treat the mentally ill, but going back to the old state hospitals is not the solution! I saw them and they were hell-holes of the first order. There was supposed to be a community-based system to take care of them when the old system was declared unconstitutional. That never happened because the states never funded them, or the funds were used elsewhere. It’s time, long past time to get adequate care for the mentally ill.
“Perhaps a statute could be created that would recognized repeated cycles, like your sibling, as a threat to herself. Maybe it would pass the court’s muster.”
There is hypothesis called the “Kindling effect” – which derives from the study of epilepsy – which states that each time the brain experiences a psychotic or manic episode, the more likely 1)subsequent episodes will be experienced and 2) the ease of triggering a psychotic/manic episode is increased. I have seen people who have had their brains exposed to so many psychotic episodes, that psychotropic medications no longer help them – or, at least don’t completely relieve hallucinations.
The point being: I think there would be evidence to support the multiple episode provision you suggest above.
sounds like we need another WE blog get together on this issue. If we could come up with some workable solutions, maybe we could engage the Homeless Coalition. I really want to keep this privately funded so it doesn’t cost tax dollars. We would definately need help from the City though, with zoning issues and possibly low cost funding.
Posted by: kansassam | August 15, 2007 at 02:29 PM
Maybe. The first workable solution that needs to be found, at least in my opinion, is to try and get some statute passed that allows for involuntary admisison to a facility, on more than just the “imminnet danger to themselves or others”.
Steven Davis-
Great information! and i would think, a great place to start!
Thanks to all for your concern, wishes and prayers. It is indeed a frustrating dilemma for us and there are no easy answers no matter how you look at it. I know the current laws exist because of abuses however letting them all slide thru the cracks creates additional problems. If it weren’t for us paying her rent, buying food etc. she would be homeless. I’m just not sure how much longer that will last as none of us can really afford it. We’ve tried having her live with us, but that didn’t work out. However, she’s employed at the moment and starting over again. We still hope that this time will be ‘it’ and she can be happy and independent.Anyway, thanks to all again for the kind words.
kansassam:Good idea! I’m in.
http://www.btcwichita.com/Check them out help if you can A good Wichita mental health non profit org.
It is also important to change the public’s perception of mental illness. People are SCARED of it, even doctors who should know better. That someone who was perfectly healthy with average or even above average intelligence whose brain suddenly goes haywire is intimidating, to say the least. Add to that the fear the public has of the individuals themselves. Statistically, mentally ill people are NO MORE likely to harm or kill someone else as someone with a healthy brain. They are MUCH more likely to hurt themselves though.
I moved from being a case manager to an employment specialist for COMCARE-CSS, and going out in the community and trying to get businesses to hire people with a mental illness was difficult, to say the least. I heard “we don’t work with those people” way too often.
If you see a person who is homeless, or would like information about food or shelter in the community, please call COMCARE’ s Homeless Program at 660-7800. COMCARE of Sedgwick County is the community mental health center for all residents of Sedgwick County.
http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/COMCARE/
The Mental Health Association has several residential, apartments, group homes, and assisted living homes, all for people with a mental illness.
Hey, build a casino. They are open 24/7. The crazies and bums can go there. See. Two problems solved.
We do need new laws to address this issue. Why is it that we cannot hold someone profoundly mentally ill against their will when we do so for those with other disabilities all the time. We keep Alzheimer’s patients, we keep patients with developmental disabilities. And trust me some of those places are worse than the mental hospitals.
What needs to happen are more thorough inspections of these places, not only for safety violations and documentation, but REAL patient care evaluations. I’ve seen many state inspections of nursing homes, and they’re sad. SAD sad sad. When they’re more worried about whether or not a box is off the floor than how many aides are caring for the patients..and they KNOW full well the ratio cannot even come close to meeting the needs…something is wrong.
Community based services are so dependent on the people who run them. We’ve got one that is supposed to look after my son, and I won’t let them do it for anything…because I KNOW what kind of people they hire. I’m scared for when he ages to the point where I might need their services. If something happens to me.
My daughter has mental health issues that could leave her in the position of many in the community. I’m frightened for her maybe even moreso- for in less than a year, there is nothing to fall back on. If she refuses care, there is nothing I can do. And she could easily become on of the millions of mentally ill without treatment.
These are all issues that run together, and they should be addressed together.
Maybe. The first workable solution that needs to be found, at least in my opinion, is to try and get some statute passed that allows for involuntary admisison to a facility, on more than just the “imminnet danger to themselves or others”.
FOR THIS I SO AGREE LJ! We want them to be involved in their own care, but sometimes, it just isn’t feasible.
“Statistically, mentally ill people are NO MORE likely to harm or kill someone else as someone with a healthy brain.”
Actually,
“mentally ill persons actively experienceing serious psychotic symptoms – are involved in violent behavior at rates several times those of nondisordered members of the general population, and that this difference persists even when a wide array of demographic and social factors are taken into consideration. Because the studies were conducted using representative samples in open community, selection biases are not a plausible alternative for their findings.”
Monahan, J. (1992). Mental disorder and violent behavior: Perceptions and evidence. _American Psychologist_, 47, 511-521.
As Barcklar (2002) points out most often the victim of a mentally ill person’s violence is a family member – most often the mother of the assailant.
Backlar, P. (2002). At home with threats and violence. In P. Backlar & D.L. Cutler, _Ethics in community mental health care: Commonplace concers_. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
I watch a show called ER untold stories, they had a homeless woman come in saying that she had worms.When they question her all she would say is she has worms, when they started to dismiss her, she shown the doctor a big dirty hole in her forearm, so the doctor proceeded to clean it up.To their surprise, she had stuffed live earthworms into the hole and she would not let them take them out, she was afraid they would hurt them.When they talked her into letting them take them out, she had a name for each one and they had to put them in their own containers.They thought they were done and she kept saying she had worms, then she shown them another hole, it was the same thing.She kept telling them she had worms and each time they would find another hole, this kept up forearms an both legs.In the end, she had eight holes and she stops telling them she had worms.
That is a very strange story Wiseman. Very strange.
I’ve heard Meth addicts will complain that they have worms underneath their skin and will proceed to dig, scratch and itch their skin until they open up sores and some people have even dig to the bone.
That is how you can notice a meth addict with all those sores on their arms.
The cause of worms crawling under your skin is actually the nerve ending being fried and popping under chemical confusion from taking the poison meth.
I’d be more than willing to get involved in a community effort to address this problem.I don’t think anyone wants to go back to the old days of “One Flew Over the Coukoos Nest” type of warehouse for people. What I have in mind is more like a group home facility that is secured so that those who’s mental illness has exacerbated could be court ordered into a safe place with professionals while they get the help and treatmet they need. I think the law needs to change to what it was before, when families had more power to get help for their loved ones, like in Wichiwoman’s situation.What I see too often is that many who suffer from severe mental illness have been abandoned by their families, which leaves them even more at risk. No one can blame the families because they are helpless to intervene unless the person is homocidal or suicidal. They get so burned out and feel so powerless, who can blame them?I just want to see things change so intervention and access to treatment is easier for those who are too sick to realize they need help.The home health agency I work for works with Comcare and Good Shepard to monitor and do med management for the severe and persistant population when needed, and it does work well, but the state cut back funding for us also. Believe it or not, RNs who do this work get paid $22 per week, plus $5 per visit to dispense meds, casemanage, and act as the liason between the client and the doctor…most of us do it because we care..with the price of gas, money certainly isn’t the motivating factor! We can keep them stable IF we get them under our service, but many fall through the cracks because they’re scared, paranoid, or just unwilling to comply..then they end up in trouble…either hospitalized, incarcerated, or on the streets. Those with chronic mental illness need advocates, but if the funding and the laws aren’t there to support the programs, then we end up like we are now, with a homeless problem that is getting out of control. Something’s got to give. They de-institutionalized all these folks, and it hasn’t worked as well as it should. We need to adjust the system accordingly.
Wiseman…I saw that particular episode, too. People do some pretty strange things!
mary – this thread will be given to a person who is involved in AECH; I think there is a lot of overlapping interest here. Ks-Sam ditto (I think we have met Sam).
IMHO this is a varied and multi-faceted problem that will take a lot of different but complimentary approaches to deal with.
Again, thanks for the letter this morning that triggered this discussion. It is refreshing to see a thread with all of us brainstorming together instead of at each others’ throats.
Mary, I’m doing home health now too. I love it so much more than working in the facilities.
I love home health..it’s so much more rewarding. You can’t help but feel as though you really make a difference.
We need to reopen and open mental institutions to keep the mentally ill off the streets and from harming themselves or others. Institutions should be professionally ran, humane and give the mentally ill as much freedom as possible without compromising safety for them and us.
“I’ve heard Meth addicts will complain that they have worms underneath their skin and will proceed to dig, scratch and itch their skin until they open up sores and some people have even dig to the bone.”
If you think that is bad you should see what the meth heads do to their teeth. Do a Google for “meth mouth” and get ready to GAG!
“Joe, I understand what you are saying, and I am not sure I disagree. However, you cannot make people bee involved in such a program. That is the first flaw in the logic of both you and Mary. You cannot hold people against their will.. THe second you mention, financing. Difficult for the government to add any more recipients, even if they are worthy, with the shortfalls we have. Perhaps we cut back on serving others? I am not hacking here, just wondering aloud where the funds would come from.”
Funding should come from 85% Federal and 15% state.
Thanks again Mary for once again bringing up this important issue. Frankly I haven’t had much experience with the homeless other than seeing them in and around the the library.
I just glanced through the comments above to get a feel about what is being said.
One idea that popped out to me is the various types of people we should be considering here. I will list some.
** Homeless individuals.** Homeless families w children.** Mentally ill persons.** Substance abuse persons.** Alcohol abuse persons.** Jobless with no where to go.** Illegal aliens.** Jobless persons.** Elderly persons with minimal social security perhaps with utilities cut off.** Illegal aliens sometimes with families.
Of course, these are general classifications that come to mind.
Since I believe beds are available from various social agencies. The problem seems to be these people need space to spend the day with social workers available to counsel on various problems.
I suspect someone needs to take the initiative to arrange meetings to organize a blue-ribbon committee to start down a long road to examine this problem.
Start out with films, speakers, classes to determine what the problems are. Try not to jump to a solution before the problems are fully understood.
Don’t rush into calling for building a new building. Too often a new building seems to become a panacea for the problem at hand.
Eventually ask for contributions to be received over a year or two.
Kev, it looks more like the dental disease Rampage Caries.You should be careful how you associate that with meth as it does not always occurred because of drugs.Most of the time it is because of poor dental hygiene.Tooth decay is caused by certain types of acid-producing bacteria which cause damage in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose.In other words, don’t go to bed with sugar on your teeth.
Thanks, Mary, for this very good thread. It is unfortunate that these types of threads occur too rarely.
Take care and thank you for your work.
MaryI also want to thank you for your letter, and for getting this thread started.You and I once were on the same side of this issue, in a previous thread.Homelessness comes up often, when discussing the library or public buildings.Private property owners can kick the homeless out.Public property can not do the same thing, unless that person is interrupting business.When I worked in the County Courthouse, a very disturbing thing happened. This was before all the security we have now.A “homeless” man came in, demanding maps and property information for the Lynwood Park area, I believe, claiming that his family once owned the property and that his “birthright” was “stolen” from him.He had a maggot working its way out of his eye socket. I am telling the truth here. There were many witnesses.Security was called, and he was escorted out of the building.He refused medical help.The office smelled so bad, even those that never saw the guy had to go out for a breath of air.
I have seen some horrible things in my life. This was one of the worst!
Can’t we do better than this?
That man NEEDED to be forced into an institution.
Most of the mentally ill who refuse their medication aren’t refusing it because they’re crazy. Many of these drugs have horrible side effects such as dyskinsia, which causes loss of control of the movements of their hands and arms. This remains even after drugs are discontinued. Other drugs have equally distressing effects. When mentally ill people are forced to take the available medications, they are often trading one hell for another, and sometimes worse hell.Pharmaceutical treatment of mental illness is far from perfected at this point, and it may be decades before we have both safe and effective treatments for mental illnesses.Mentally ill people need to be carefully treated and closely monitored and evaluated. Many can and do live fairly normal lives within society and the community. Others need periodical hospitalization during the most severe episodes and others need constant care. Yes, it’s expensive, but far less so than our current alternatives.
Jwink…
There are plenty of apartment buildings, etc. in the Wichita area that can be converted for housing the homeless. We could even hire the homeless people in temp jobs to help with the remodel. We have done this on a small scale, but the intent is to develop a successful program so we can apply for Federal Grant money available for Providers to Homeless Veterans. It does take time, we are trying to be successful in assisting a few so that we can help more later on. There must be a successful program lined out before we could be considered for grants like these.
http://www.nchv.org/service_category.cfm?id=7
Kansassam: Its opinions of people like you and Mary and others who have devoted your careers to dealing with these problems that are most valuable.
The purpose of my above list of disenfranchised groups was to show myself if nobody else the many different groups that are affected. I see my list contained a couple classifications twice and omitted some such as homeless veterans and probably others.
My initial thought is that we need a day-hall for these people with counselors and social workers immediately available rather than leaving these duties up to the librarians.
But I hope we don’t rush to a decision on what is needed. This usually postpones the solution to await construction of a “new building,” the normal panacea for social problems.
I wish a number of meetings similar to the former Visioneering meetings could be held to get a community conversation going on this subject this fall and winter.
These social services might be among the more important issues facing Wichita.
JWink..
Exactly right. There are many levels of needs in Wichita. A 24/7 Shelter is extremely important as an immediate way to keep folks out of dangerous weather conditions.
A facility to house the mentally ill and substance dependant with all required services is just as important, but will require more time and planning.
My heart is with the Homeless Veterans who I believe we OWE a great debt of gratitude, especially those who are disabled in some manner because of their service.
All of these needs cross boundaries, so I say focus on the shelter, while working on immediate apartment style housing for DAV’s. Let the medical experts study “Housing First” Programs in other cities and see if it can become a workable solution for the mentally ill homeless folks.It would be nice also, to have a WE get together to talk, and invite the Homeless Coalition and see how their plans are coming along. We all need to work together on a comprehensive plan, and then maybe we can divide up the work among the “experts” in each area of need.
BTW.. I am no Mary, she really has dedicated herself to this kind of work. I am just a regular Joe like everyone else on the Blog. I have ideas, but this is NOT my life’s work, it is just something I’m led to do.
First, I want to remind people that you can not compare mentally ill to MR/DD or Alzheimers patients. People who are MR/DD are often not their own guardians. Alzheimers patients will not get better, just worse. Most mentally ill people do not have any other disability, and the onset of mental illness is usually after they become adults.
Also Steven, I would not argue with you that when a mentally ill person is having a psychotic episode they are more dangerous than a non mentally ill person, but that’s like saying a person who is high on crack or meth is more dangerous. Of course they are. But the instances of someone harming or killing who is mentally ill compared to the rest of the population is still not higher.
I AM comparing mental illness to those disorders because it should be. They’re not able to make legal decisions for themselves because they can’t make rational decisions. Why is that different than mental illness?
We have the ability to take guardianship away from people with Alzheimer’s or someone who had a traumatic brain injury. So again, why does one have to be born with an illness to be looked after?
How many homeless do we have in America?
Wait, didn’t Bill Clinton solve the homeless problem in the 1990’s?
Heck no, Clinton didn’t solve the homeless problem.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16564208/
Hard to count em all, but there’s about the same number 700,000 or so in 1996 and in 2005.
The chances of a mentally ill person getting assaulted is much higher than the chance they’ll assault anyone. They often put themslelves into vulnerable situations where they can get taken advantage of. Most people with mental illness are harmless, but the media loves to jump on it when someone who is obviously mentally ill does something crazy and then that’s how they’re viewed as a whole by society. Some of the kindest, most generous folks I know have a severe mental illness like schizophrenia. I have a little man who is schizophrenic and mentally retarded that I take to lunch once in a while..I’m slways amazed and hurt at how even adults look or stare at him. Once I took him to get a picture ID at the driver license bureau, when he stood up to get his picture taken, I heard a woman standing in the line behind us say “What the hell is that?” I can’t imagine what it must be like to have people fear me and ridicule me without even knowing me, but that’s been the story of his life.People can be so ignorant and insensitive to those with mental health issues, and the media is partly to blame for that.
One idea that I think would help is getting advocates for the homeless, on a one to one basis, that would help those who would accept help to navagate the system and access services. Trying to obtain help can be challenging even for those who don’t have these issues. Maybe a group like CASA, but for adults with mental illness, would be one way to do this. It could even consist of volunteers. The reasons why so many fall through the cracks in the system is because they don’t follow through even when they get started. Maybe they have transportation issues, etc. If they had someone who could advocate for them and help guide them through the process, maybe they would have more success in getting the help they need.There are lots of things that caring people can do that wouldn’t cost money, just time.
A Veteran who was not dishonorably discharged, served at least 90 days, and had at least one day of service during wartime (even if he or she was not in combat) might qualify for an “Improved VA Pention Benifit” of $1,500 a month or more.Not nearly enough for an assisted living facility or a nurshing home, but any “non-profits” looking for a way to subsidize help to these Veterans is free to contact me.I know how to do the paperwork.There is NO charge.The law will NOT allow me to charge.
Improved Pension Benefit
It is my fingers, not my brain that are giving me problems today!
Very generous of you Econ101. I knew an Army Veteran that I think did what you are talking about.
He ended up getting into a low income apartment (Title something – forgot the number.) The apartments were quite nice and one could not tell they all qualified for for the Title (?)
He was quite happy with his situation as it was near shopping and bus routes.
Before that, he had lived in a sixteen foot camping trailer for years on I think, his cousin’s or brother’s farm? He said it got really cold and hot in that trailer.
Glad to see you are helping out Econ101!
Kansas..You may be describing Section 8 Housing, which works OK, except the waiting line to get on the list is about 2 or 3 years at the moment! Not only that, but they don’t try very hard to contact a homeless person when their name actually comes up.We offered a couple of houses to Section 8, but there is noone qualified with a Voucher to move there. That’s why we went out on our own to try and provide interim housing for the “waiting” period until the homeless can get their names to the top of the list.
This conversation must continue somehow. I suspect very few of us understand the full scope of the problem nor the potential solution. It obviously involves a wide scope of types of people who need help and a wide scope of service organizations and care givers who already work on assisting with these problems.
I’ve got clients that I’ve been able to help find affordable housing, obtained an increase in their food stamps, obtained HCBS services, easier access to healthcare, and landline phones for only $7 per month.It’s true that section 8 housing has long waiting lines, but many of my clients have housing that is affordable on the meager assistance they receive.All it takes is one person to get involved who understands the system enough to guide and assist those in need through it. The help is there, but if you have no transportation, if you can’t read or write, or simply don’t have the ability to understand a complicated system, it’s very hard to get the help one needs. We need individual advocates that can help those who would qualify for services. Social workers are overwhelmed and I believe that’s why so many in need fall through the cracks and end up homeless or even in jail.