The Plight of the Crazy Street People
Jesse was a psychotic man whose crazed, robotic appearances rendered his age and national origin difficult to identify (this also served as protection from predators). Over several years of observation he scarcely spoke when others were present. He ignored all outreach overtures with the same robotic indifference. People cleared a path whenever he entered a drop-in center because of his odor and appearance. He came only to collect day-old doughnuts and loaves of bread that was regularly donated in large quantities by area bakeries. No one knew where he spent his nights. Just before the onset of winter, the heavy coat the Jesse wore all year round had progressed to a state of severe disrepair. Most of its lining and insulation material dangled outside of the coat and remained attached to it by mere threads. Drop-in staff feared Jesse's survival in the cold but he refused to acknowledge their offers of a replacement coat. Subsequently he was offered a plastic bag with holes cut into it for his arms and head. It was hoped that he would use this to keep the coat's lining against his body. He would not acknowledge this offer either. Eventually he dropped out of sight; later it was learned that he had been committed to the state h
Homelessness appears most commonly in stages, regardless of mental health conditions. In order to better serve the homeless mentally ill, "services should be ultimately be offered in the least restrictive and most normal setting, one that builds upon community resources and peer supports"(FTFHSMI 33). Mental health practitioners should create an atmosphere conductive to healing and stabilization. Relaxed informal settings such as a park or restaurant can greatly increase a mental health practitioner's chance of successfully treating a homeless mentally ill person. According to the Wall Street Journal online article, classic settings like hospitals and shelters typically have scared away many individuals desperately needing help. Some associate the hospital with confinement, while others fear shelters for their reputation of being unsafe ("Stop the Madness"). Attempts have been made to change the atmosphere of shelters and hospitals, creating a friendly atmosphere removed from rumored dangers. Along with these changes local, state, and federal government have set asides grants to improve the general condition of shelters and hospitals (Vernez et al. 13). Thankfully, several government agencies are finally recognizing the problems surrounding the homeless mentally ill and homeless in general. Outreach personnel are finally becoming certified to counsel individuals they meet on the street and office practitioners are adapting to the homeless mentally ills culture (Kuhlman 162). Therefore, the future path of services for the homeless mentally ill is being planed out as we very speak. Along with problems associated with addressing the needs of the homeless mentally ill, most practitioners come from middle to upper class background and belief systems, thus they lack they the cultural knowledge needed to connect with the homeless mentally ill. Many mental health practitioners attempt to use outreach programs designed for seeking out those in need within their territory. While noble intentions, the practitioners do not realize they are jeopardizing their cause. The first step for the mental health practitioner who wishes to approach is to depart the office culture sites. This makes one accessible to street people on their territory. Unfortunately, according to Psychology on the Streets, most of the homeless mentally ill have sense of belonging to their territory, thus when some suburbanite yuppie attempts to blend in the homeless mentally ill feel insulted and consequently protect their lifestyle even more (Kuhlman 2). Of course, this is not to say that the homeless mentally ill enjoy their position in society, but that they have nothing left besides their pride and ownership of land-even if it is trespassing. Therefore, the current problem surrounding mental health care for the homeless mentally ill is a lack of resources, communication, and understanding between the mental health practitioners and the homeless mentally ill. Today's current response to the problem is still inefficient, although plans are being laid out at the moment. The future seems hopeful
Some common words found in the essay are:
Stop Madness, Psychology Streets, Madness Attempts, , Mental Health, York City, Jesses' Countless, People Jesse, Mental Illness, mentally ill, homeless mentally, homeless mentally ill, Los Angeles, mental health, health practitioners, mental health practitioners, severe mental, mental illnesses, refers individuals, homeless refers, homeless refers individuals, government agencies, health practitioners homeless, growing homeless mentally, cycle depravity,
Approximate Word count = 2091
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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