by Marjorie A. Gordon-DeLee, MA ( January 6, 2019)
There is definitely a serious problem with homelessness in Columbia, South Carolina. During my experience as a homeless person for the past ten days I have learned so much about the homeless community. They can possibly be our father, mother, brother, sister, or child living out there on the streets; or even yourself as I have learned. Homelessness is not designated to just one group of people or a certain type of person, it can happen to anyone at any time during their life. People go through so many of life crisis, such as: the death of a family member, the loss of employment, financial crisis, domestic violence, being an ex-offender, or experiencing family issues that take a toll on them. Many people are unable to handle these stressors in their lives and some of them may turn to alcohol or drugs as a form of medication to take away the pain that they are experiencing or to avoid confronting the crisis in an attempt to solve their problem. We must break the cycle by helping the homeless to recover completely.
For homeless people with a complex, traumatic background, the elusive goal is often not to find hostel places, it’s to keep hold of them. Many are trapped in a cycle in which their aggressive behavior or substance abuse leads them to be ejected from hostels and back onto the streets. ‘Getting kicked out is another rejection,’ says Dr Nick Maguire at the University of Southampton. ‘It’s another “life’s not fair” experience, which just contributes further to the negative view they have of themselves (Jarrett, n.d.).’
Additionally:
Lack of affordable housing, low wages, domestic violence, physical and mental health issues, and substance abuse are some of the main reasons people become homeless (Familyshelter.org).
There are many people who do not have that support system to help them get through the crisis in which they are experiencing because some family members may not possess the life skill sets necessary to support their troubled family member. This is where our public assistance is supposed to step in and help those who are in need to become acclimated back into living a normal healthy lifestyle in their community by supporting them along the way toward recovery.
Many of the men and the women who I observed during the course of the past ten days appear to have a mental condition that need to be addressed and treated. These individuals were walking around talking to themselves, having long conversations out loud as if they were talking to another person. At times I thought that these individuals were talking to me. One young woman in particular really need to be diagnosed by a mental health institution. Her conversations with self was so visibly seen and heard by everyone in the shelter and those who are living on the streets as well.
All of the homeless men and women treated me with the utmost respect when interacting with me directly. I treated them with respect and they return the same to me. They clashed with their peers, but that was because when both people are dealing with serious mental, alcohol or drug addiction issues there will be constant conflicts as they interacted with one another.
During my one on one visit with the caseworker, she merely asked if I thought that I needed to see a mental counselor, of course I said that I did not. However, I have no idea of what the approach is for those individuals who are in dire need of mental health assistance. The young woman who is constantly having conversations with herself does not live at the Transitions Homeless Center and I have no idea why she has not received a bed yet. It may possibly be that she was at one time and lost her privilege to be there at this time. But I cannot see her, in her need of immediate assistance being kicked out when it is so obvious to me (an individual without a mental health background) that she is in need of mental health assistance.
No homeless person ever said “Please place me in one room with a hundred other people. Please give me a cot or a mat for the floor to sleep on. Please only have one bathroom with two toilets and two shower stalls for all of us. Then please kick us out every day, even in freezing cold weather – and that will cure my drug addiction and mental illness.” But that is exactly how homeless services treats people. For the most part, we are warehousing people and simply maintaining homelessness – not ending homelessness (Invisible People, n.d.)!
This also goes for many of the women living in my dormitory. These women need behavioral health assistance and mental health assistance because they do not have a clue how to behave appropriately in society or as a lady should act and it takes someone who is a specialist in this field of behavioral health or mental health to address these issues with the women. It is not normal for women to constantly be verbally abusive to one another all of the time as if everyone does it. Or to want to fight using vicious bodily threating words to harm one another. All of this is abnormal behavior and they need to be addressed by the Transitions Homeless Center. This goes for the men as well with all of the talk of using drugs and alcohol all the time as if it is normal for people to live and think in this manner. Or for them to viciously curse and be hostel to one another all of the time.
Many homeless women become homeless in response to escaping pasts laden with domestic violence or sexual trauma; some are victims who fled the hard grip of sex trafficking. These factors, along with co-occurring disorders from homelessness, have contributed to the fact that approximately one-third of homeless women have abused heroin and crack cocaine (AddictionCenter).
Further research revealed that:
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) reports that approximately 26 percent of homeless Americans had some form of mental illness, and nearly 35 percent were affected by substance abuse. Mental illness and substance abuse lead to a destructive cycle in which the effects of both conditions lead to increased poverty, which in turn can reinforce the depression, anxiety, and delusional thinking that reinforce drug and alcohol use (Sunrisehouse.com).
Adding behavioral health as an inhouse program to Transitions Homeless Center would be an absolute highlight in helping more of the homeless people with their behavioral problems instead of kicking them out of the emergency shelter or out of the programs when they do not comply or when they get out of line. The Transitions Homeless Center is not doing the homeless person any good in doing so. All of these people are wanting help, that is why they are at the shelter, it is not that they are lazy or merely wanting a handout. They need caring people to place them in the right recovery programs to show them the right directions that they need to go in life and remain by their side every step of the way providing one on one assistance with all aspects of life necessities until they can live independently.
As far as outreach is concerned:
Outreach that merely helps support people who are living independently but without any shelter may be a necessary and important first step in relationship building, but the overall goal of street outreach should be tied to the larger goal of helping people move off the streets as quickly as possible (Homelesshub.ca).
During my stay in the Transitions Homeless Center, I overheard first hand the discussions of people talking about drugs and alcohol quite often. I would venture to say that approximately 90 percent of the homeless that I interacted with was under the influence of some addiction.
As reported on Michaelshouse.com:
Research indicates that substance abuse is more common among the homeless than with the general population. It is estimated that:
About 38% of the homeless abuse alcohol.
Alcohol abuse is more common among the older set within the homeless population.
About 26%of the homeless abuse drugs other than alcohol.
Drug abuse is more common among younger homeless people.
A survey conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors asked 25 cities to share the top reasons for homelessness in their region. 68% reported that substance abuse was the number one reason among single adults. According to a separate research survey, two-thirds of the homeless who were interviewed reported that abuse of drugs and/or alcohol was a major cause of their homelessness. Very similar numbers are reported for homeless military veterans suffering from a substance use disorder.
In other words, the correlation is clear: substance abuse is a major contributing factor for many people becoming and remaining homeless.
As far as housing is concerned, in my experience, my caseworker appeared less than eager to accommodate my need in accessing housing as soon as possible. In fact, my caseworker said that it was the resident’s responsibility to locate their own housing (for me that is not a problem at all). However, there were many of the residents who needed guidance in understanding the process and it should be the caseworker’s responsibility to ensure that every need of her client is met. If there are not enough caseworkers to accommodate the number of residents served at the Transitions Homeless Center, then funds need to be allocated to hire more caseworkers.
Creating Quick Connections to Permanent Housing. Emergency shelters should intentionally link people to permanent housing resources without assessing housing “readiness,” so that they can move through the system quickly. Throughout an emergency shelter stay, staff and volunteers should emphasize and maintain focus on assisting shelter guests to identify and connect to permanent housing. This focus can include: prominently displaying information about how to access housing; linking people rapidly to local coordinated entry processes that can further assess their strengths, needs, and preferences; ensuring easy and rapid access to housing navigation services; and providing assistance with collecting documentation necessary for determining program eligibility. Some shelters have started this transition to supporting permanent housing outcomes by targeting and/or prioritizing “long-term stayers,” people who have been in shelters the longest, for permanent housing placements (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness).
It is caring and compassionate people pouring their hearts out to help save the homeless community of people by putting in the time to walk along with them on their total journey to recovery. These people include the Chief Executive Officer, staff members, more caseworkers are a necessity, and volunteers.
As far as the Rules and Conducts for the homeless to abide by as they participate in the activities and programs at the shelter, Transitions Homeless Shelter need to have professional printed Rules and Conduct displayed in the community center large room, in the lobby of the building and in each dormitory so that the residents can review them each time they pass the printed Rules and Conducts. A sample of what should be displayed on this printed board for these areas would be:
As a resident of Transitions Homeless Center, the following are prohibited:
· Cursing nor fighting will not be tolerated in the dormitories or community room
· Stealing the property of dormitory roommates
· Rude or abusive conduct toward fellow residents or staff members
· Food, alcohol, and drugs not permitted in rooms
· Disrespecting residents trying to sleep in the rooms
· Do not listen to music without earplugs
INSERT THE PENALTIES THAT WOULD APPLY TO NONCOMPLIANCE OF THE RULES DISPLAYED
Additionally, a copy of the Transitions Homeless Center Resident Rules and Responsibilities should be given to the resident at the time they receive a bed at the shelter to continuously review as a guide and should be explained thoroughly as such to the resident by the caseworker:
Here are a few ways that all the Churches in the community can help to improve the lives of the homeless men and women making it a regular part of their mission:
· Give Water
· Give Snacks
· Give Toiletries
· Give your extras (clothes, blankets, sheets, towels)
· Buy Toiletries on sales to give
Pack a care kit to help someone who is homeless
Care Kits are a simple way to provide practical help to a homeless man or woman. Keep some in your car so you’re prepared to offer one to a person in need.
· Water bottle
· Socks
· Tuna and crackers
· Granola Bar or cereal bar
· Fruit snack or applesauce cup
· Crackers with peanut butter or cheese
· Gift certificate to fast food
· Hand wipes
· Pack of Kleenex
· Maxi pads
· Toothbrush and toothpaste
· Nail clippers
· Band Aids
· Chapstick
· Comb or small brush
· Mints, cough drops or gum
· Mini Fliers with ways the Mission can meet their needs
· Note of encouragement or uplifting Bible verse
Reference
AddictionCenter. (n.d.). The Connection Between Homeless and Addiction. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/homelessness/
Familysheltersc.org (n.d.). Facts on Family Homelessness. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://www.familysheltersc.org/homeless-facts.html
Homelesshub.ca. (n.d.). Outreach. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/emergency-response/outreach
Invisible People (n.d.). Homeless Services: We Can Do Better. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://invisiblepeople.tv/2013/05/homeless-services-we-can-do-better/
Jarrett, C. (n.d.). Helping the Homeless. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-23/edition-4/helping-homeless
Michaelshouse.com. The Connection between Homelessness and Addiction. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://www.michaelshouse.com/drug-abuse/study-homelessness-addiction/
Sunrisehouse.com. Addiction-demographics/homeless-population. Retrieved January 5, 2019 from https://sunrisehouse.com/addiction-demographics/homeless-population/
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. (2017). Key Considerations for Implementing Emergency Shelter Within an Effective Crisis Response System Retrieved January 6, 2019 from https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/emergency-shelter-key-considerations.pdf
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