Thao Jones-HillWhy do we allow unhoused, mentally ill, drug addicted people to refuse shelter so they can have the freedom to slam seriously bad drugs on sidewalks and then terrorize people with no plan or solution to do something about it? I’m truly just asking a question as to why we are asked to be ok with this. #homeless #homelessness #drugs #drugaddiction #fentanyl
Diligence Jones@thao Earnest answer: probably because we wanted to avoid repeating the seriously problematic history of involuntary institutionalization -- a history and practice that was .... not really great, either, for the mentally ill, seriously ill, unhoused, indigent, or folks with disabilities.
@thao The middle path requires resources:
Money
Political will
Service providers (see: funding)
Public Policy (see: political will)
Infrastructure (see: both funding and political will)
Money
Political will
Service providers (see: funding)
Public Policy (see: political will)
Infrastructure (see: both funding and political will)
@DeliaChristina everything you say makes sense. I work with a shelter that recently opened and has ~$10M/year budget. We see daily ambulances, 90% of folks who enter leave after a few days voluntarily because they choose to return to the streets, the non profit managing the property is doing the best they can, and they alsy say “not enough supportive services”. I just wonder. $10M per year for less than 10% stay rate? Maybe it isn’t about MORE funding, it’s about how money is being spent
@thao True. Then we are looking at longitudinal direct intervention on a case by case basis: that is expensive as hell. But a complex system of support is what's necessary to treat folks with complex mental illness, trauma, substance addictions, and health issues. Each layer of complexity introduces a cascade of costs.
If service delivery of medical and mental interventions were less expensive, that could be a place to start. But that's a non starter in the U.S.
@DeliaChristina another great point. When I went to rehab for 30 days in a plushy comprehensive Napa recovery center, my total costs were about $50,000 for 30 days of treatment. So I know that is about the top end of the cost. If we gave 30 days of inpatient rehab to folks, that same $10M could give comprehensive recovery support for 200 per year.
There won’t be 200 people that last more than a few days in the old youth hostel where they have shelter and food. But nothing else really.
There won’t be 200 people that last more than a few days in the old youth hostel where they have shelter and food. But nothing else really.
@DeliaChristina I actually think that would be difficult to get political support for… because I don’t believe most citizens actually want to give those with drug addiction and mental illness the best facilities and treatment options. Maybe housing in an old broke down hotel…. But not state of the art housing with services that actually work.
@thao BINGO.
*That* is why this problem hasn't been solved.
@DeliaChristina ugh. The definition of “the ugly truth”. It’s so sad, but i hope we can stand up and just say out loud what the real problem is.