Study Finds Majority of Americans With Depression Go Untreated

Check it out:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1913312,00.html

Monday Morning Special Link

"Those with mental illness are far more likely to be victimized by others than they are to be the perpetrators of crimes. When they do commit infractions, it’s usually because they aren’t getting the support they need."

-A quote from a wonderful op-ed discussing the need for community support for group homes for the mentally ill written by long-time friend of ShelterCare, Gary Cornelius. 

Garden Place: A Staff Member's Perspective

ShelterCare's Garden Place program is housed in an unassuming but well-kept remodeled duplex in a quiet neighborhood in Eugene. Inside, it is a bustling place. A couple of residents relax on mismatched yet comfortable and welcoming armchairs. Kitchen staff prepare the midday meal, which staff and residents take together. Pictures of smiling people riding horseback, dressed in Halloween costumes, and taking part in community activities adorn the walls, along with more general portraits. It really feels like home.

And it really is home, to 12 ShelterCare residents with psychiatric disabilities. They live here, working with staff and each other, to achieve the goal of more personal independence. Jose Soto is one of several members of the dedicated Garden Place team. His small, yet inviting office is revealing. Objects such as a fishing reel (for client outings, since many like to fish), and a small collection of painting supplies (for the recently painted therapy room) indicate that Jose is someone who plays many roles. I had the opportunity to speak with Jose about some of his experiences at Garden Place.

CD-"What is your role at Garden Place?"

JS-"My title is Resident Services Coordinator. My role here is really pretty varied, out of necessity. Soon after I took the position, we experienced significant turnover at the senior staff levels, and it was necessary to adapt quickly to that. Some of the things I do include staff training and scheduling, ensuring we have appropriate transportation for consumers to get to appointments, and helping locate volunteer opportunities for consumers. There are a lot of miscellaneous tasks that appear constantly. It definitely requires flexibility and creativity."

CD-"What are some of the challenges of working in the field of mental health?"

JS-"A lot of people's understanding of mental health is full of stigma. People may think of folks locked up in facilities that simply warehouse them, straitjackets, and so forth. So these stigmas go back 50 years or so, even though how we (in the field) approach mental health has really undergone revolutionary changes. In the past decade alone, there have been tremendous advancements in the field. It is very hard to overcome these stigma, and it is unlikely that they will completely go away any time soon. 

CD-"What are some examples of how the mental health field has changed?"

JS-"There are many ways. Well, for one, we no longer simply warehouse people in group homes. We also work with the consumers to develop individualized treatment programs. Consumers now take an active role in their own healing process. It's much more empowering."

CD-"Are there any things that you feel you've learned in your experience with the agency and at Garden Place in particular?"

JS-"Sure. One thing is that I was initially a bit nervous about a job with ShelterCare. I admit, I was affected by some of the stigmatizing messages surrounding mental health. I quickly realized that they weren't really any different from people I'd worked with in the past (in other nonprofit roles). A lot of them were simply people who'd experienced significant trauma in their lives and needed some support to address their issues.

 My experience has been very rewarding. I work in the field I work in because I want to help. I enjoy knowing I'm helping and it's gratifying to know I'm making a  difference-maybe not in a huge way, but it does have an effect. And that, to me is significant."

Thank you Jose, and all Garden Place staff for the difference you make for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. I am sure they would agree that it is indeed significant.

-CD

Did You Know?

-Dual Diagnosis refers to co-occurring mental illness and drug and/or alcohol dependency. It is more common than many people realize, with 37% of alcohol abusers and 53% of drug abusers also having at least one serious mental illness (source: Journal of American Medical Disorders). In order to recover fully, a person with dual diagnosis needs treatment for both problems. 

-Some of  ShelterCare's Mental Health Program consumers have a dual diagnosis. ShelterCare clinical staff work with each person to determine a course of treatment that is appropriate for his or her specific and unique needs. After both issues have been addressed, and a course of treatment has had time to be effective, many of our dual diagnosis consumers progress to new levels of independence and productivity. The majority remain clean. 

Did You Know?

A question we are frequently asked at ShelterCare is: "Why are people homeless?" While the answer(s) to this question are quite diverse in nature (every person's story is unique), there are several common factors that can lead to a person becoming homeless. Many of these factors are related to the larger issue of poverty. Often, a person experiences a number of these factors, and they eventually lead to the experience of homelessness. The following are some of the most common factors. 

-Declining employment opportunities/and or stagnating and declining real wages. When a person is forced to live paycheck to paycheck, all it takes is an unexpected expense to get behind on the bills. 

-Job loss. Job losses happen, even if a person is a model employee. As the economy worsens, more people are experiencing job losses. If a new job cannot be found, and a person's savings dry up, homelessness can be the result.

-Lack of affordable housing. A general rule of budgeting is that you should not spend more than a third of your income on housing (rent or mortgage). Affordable housing for low-income people and housing assistance programs come nowhere near meeting the demand. Therefore, many low income families and individuals are putting half or more of their income towards housing. Once again, it is often nothing more than an unexpected expense that puts people on the brink of homelessness. 

-Lack of education/employable job skills. Many people simply don't have realistic access to higher education. Student loans and grants are growing scarcer. Even community college costs have become prohibitive for many people in the lower income brackets, and many elect to enter the workforce as soon as they are able to do so. Many jobs available to people with a high school diploma or less are low paying jobs without benefits or much chance for advancement.  

-Mental illness. A significant percentage of people experiencing homelessness are also experiencing mental illness. Many of these individuals have been unable to obtain access to supportive housing and other treatment that they may need and find themselves homeless. 

-Disability. When a person is unable to work due to disability, it can lead to financial difficulties similar to those experienced by low-income individuals. Unexpected expenses can derail even the most carefully planned budgets.

-Healthcare costs. The cost of healthcare has skyrocketed over the past several years. Many employers have cut healthcare benefits to employees as a means to cut costs, leaving employees to find their own source. For many people, the costs of private insurance are simply too high for their income and they simply go without. Therefore, an unexpected medical expense can be catastrophic, particularly for people without much of a financial safety net to begin with.

There are, of course, many other factors that can lead to a person becoming homeless. The above are simply some of the ones that are seen again and again. 

Nice Opinion Piece in the Register Guard

Check out this great editorial piece in today's Register Guard.

Did You Know?

-Mental disorders are common in the United States. An estimated 1 in 4 Americans aged 18 or older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Even though mental disorders are widespread in the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in a much smaller proportion. About 1 in 17 American adults suffer from a serious mental illness. In fact, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States for Americans aged 15-44 years.

(Source-National Institute of Mental Health)      

  

-Chronic homelessness is long-term or repeated homelessness

 of a person with a disability. Many chronically homeless people have a serious mental illness that they attempt to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Most traditional shelters for this population require sobriety before a person can receive shelter. Recently, a revolutionary model known as the "Housing First" model was introduced. Housing First recognizes that it is nearly impossible for a chronically homeless individual will a mental illness to conquer addiction on their own and that by providing basic needs first, a person's chances of overcoming addiction and moving on to a successful life increase tremendously.

-In 2006, ShelterCare launched its innovative The Inside Program (TIP). TIP is based on the Housing First model and provides apartments and extensive case management to the chronically homeless in the Eugene/Springfield community. TIP currently serves up to 28 people at a time, and enjoys a tremendous level of success. 

ShelterCare staff member plays cards with a client

Lindsay the Intern: Week Six Musings

As I have mentioned previously, interning at ShelterCare has given me a heightened sense of awareness. I now ponder every homeless person I see. Where did they come from? How did they get here? What is their story and what would change their circumstances? Recently, I have noticed the tattered army green jackets and the "homeless veteran" signs. The more homeless veterans I notice, the more it makes me seethe. These brave men and women, who bravely stood on the front lines to protect us are now begging for scraps on the side of the road. The unjust epidemic of homeless veterans has got me thinking-those stickers are nice, but do we (or does the government) really "support our troops"?

Well here is a conversation starter for you: "On any given day, as  many as 250,000 veterans (male and female) are living on the streets or in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year" (U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs). Pardon my slang, but that is whack. I do not know much about what is promised upon signing up, but I have seen a few Army commercials in my day, and I know that the Army Reserves guarantees you a college education and job skills. Those who actually serve must be awarded these same benefits. Now that I think of it, the problem isn't the opportunities our veterans receive after serving. Instead, it is the lack of preparation and accommodation given to our vets that hinders their ability to take advantage of said opportunities. 

I have had the opportunity, through the FHS program, to learn a few things about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is most certainly a mental illness that affects one's ability to function normally in society. It is also a huge concern among veterans. 300,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD or major depression since returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and it is documented that only half have sought treatment (U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs). That is absolutely alarming. Notice the close correlation between the amount of homeless veterans and those with a mental illness. Coincidence? I think not.

Unfortunately, despite those well-meaning promises of education and pride, mental illness can rob veterans of the ability to sit in a classroom and gain the skills necessary to support themselves. Veterans are also forced to leave behind an extremely regimented lifestyle. They no longer have meticulous orders to follow and must relearn the simplest of tasks.

In my opinion, there needs to be an intensive treatment plan for all veterans who attempt to re-enter civilian society. ShelterCare provides individually based treatment, as do many programs, but the government should take responsibility for this nationally crippling problem. At the very least, a large chunk of change should be distributed between those agencies that attempt to rehabilitate war-torn veterans.

I am not really sure what we can provide other than compassion, gratitude and understanding. Spread awareness and seek answers for those who cannot care for themselves. The veteran population contributes greatly to the homeless population; if we can find a way to help them, then we are that much closer to ending homeless.

Thursday's Ready-For-The-Weekend Link List

Image: freedigitalphotos.net)

Here are some interesting links from elsewhere in cyberspace that may be of interest:

-St. Martin's Hospitality Center, in Albuquerque, NM is conducting a "Street Retreat", during which volunteers will experience what it's like to be homeless for a few days in late January. It's one of several such events that have cropped up in cities across the nation in recent years. 

-Here's an interesting article explaining how blast pressure (generated when weapons are fired) may cause brain injury.

-The December unemployment numbers for the state of Oregon are in, and the news is not so good.

-The economic downturn and punitive welfare policies are exacerbating the issue of homelessness for our friends Down Under. 

-NYC begins to make progress on the dual diagnosis front. 

ShelterCare Awarded $2 Million in HUD Funds

Today, everyone at ShelterCare received some wonderful news:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced awards for the construction of 88 units of affordable housing for the very low-income elderly or persons with disabilities in various Oregon communities on Tuesday. 

ShelterCare was one of the recipients of HUD funds. We will receive a $1,977,500 capital advance and a three-year, $168,900 rent subsidy to build 16 units for adults with chronic mental illness on the site of our Brethren Housing Program in Springfield. 

Did You Know?

-Currently, the number of homeless Vietnam era veterans is greater than the number of service persons who died during that war (Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Many of these homeless veterans suffer from mental illness.



-With appropriate medication and a wide range of services tailored to their needs, most people living with a serious mental illness can significantly reduce the impact of their illness and find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence.

-ShelterCare provided shelter and support to 741 individuals in our mental health programs from July 2007 to June 2008.