Homeless Problem: Stop the Insanity

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Stop the Insanity “No vision haunts America’s conscience more then the sight of the street people….The irrationality and anguish that grip so many of these individuals leap out during any encounter, whether in Washington or Albuquerque.” - US Senator Pete Domenici, 1972-2009 People who live at poverty level and have mental disorders are more likely to become homeless. Unfortunately, police and emergency personnel are not always trained to evaluate mental illness. Hospitals do not treat homeless people for underlying conditions such as mental illness. Shelters, temporary and transitional housing staff do not do an adequate job of administering and monitoring medication for those residents that have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. The lack of resources and training to treat and diagnose the mentally ill creates a cycle of homelessness. In the United States of America there are a disproportionate number of people suffering from mental illness who are homeless. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, people with untreated psychiatric illness constitute one-third, or between 150,000 and 200,000 people, of the estimated 744,000 homeless population.(1) Fred Osher, MD., writes – “Today, few people with serious mental illness, homeless or not require institutionalization. Advances in treatment have allowed the restoration of health and productivity to almost all who access good care. Unfortunately the vast majority of homeless people do not have access to good care.” (2) This cycle needs to be broken and the most effective way of doing that is by getting homeless people who have mental illnesses evaluated and treated so they return to an active role in their lives and in society. Many homeless people are u... ... middle of paper ... ...mental disorders the cycle of homelessness in the mentally ill will continue. Works Cited Treatment Advocacy Center. Briefing Paper: Homelessness. Apr. 2009 page 1 Osher, Fred MD. Healing Hands. Vol 4, No. 5. Oct. 200 page 1 Treatment Advocacy Center. Briefing Paper: Homelessness. Apr. 2009 page 1 Gerdes, Louise I, ed. The Homeless Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press: Thompson Gale, 2007. page 81 Grandrud, Kenneth. CA Sherriff’s Department Retired. Personal Interview. 25 Jul. 2009 Gerdes, Louise I, ed. The Homeless Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press: Thompson Gale, 2007. pages 80 – 81 Banks, Frank. Resident Advisor LIHI Sandpoint Facility. 2003 Yuodelis, Flores MD. Healing Hands. Vol 4, No. 5. Oct. 2000 page 5

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