When Homelessness Is Not A Choice

Last week I had the very great pleasure of attending an outstanding conference hosted by Bridgeway Center, Inc. on the topic of co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. The primary speaker was Dr. Kent Mintkoff, an official national expert (as he honestly and humorously described himself) who was incredibly knowledgeable and practical.

The organizers at Bridgeway wanted to add some local tie-ins to Dr. Minkoff’s speech, so I gave a luncheon address on how severe, persistent mental illness and addictions are experienced by those who live on the street. I can sum up my entire speech in one phrase: it is not therapeutic.

Naturally, I didn’t stop there. I tried to highlight various barriers homelessness poses to the mentally ill by giving examples taken from the lives of the homeless who live here in Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Some of the homeless I have met have been inspirational, and their stories profound. At one point, I suggested that perhaps we could do at least as much for these lost people as we do for the lost animals in our community.

It turns out not everyone agrees with that last sentiment. I have been informed that animals are helpless and dependent, and are not homeless by choice the way people are.

Now, I am not against help for animals. Along with my four children, I have raised four horses, two dogs, seven cats, two rabbits, one gerbil, three hamsters, two birds, several tanks of fish, and - the one mistake - an iguana who is now happily living with Mrs. Hagan, the biology teacher at Choctaw. I have donated to SOCKS, the Wildlife Rescue Fund, and PAWS. With my children, I have rescued birds and baby squirrels dislocated by hurricanes, and I can’t count the number of times I have gotten out of my car to help a turtle cross the road.

My point is not that we should stop helping animals, it is to suggest that our priorities are skewed when we can't also set aside equivalent resources to help lost people.

It is certainly true that we share our world with many species, and we are not always good stewards of our environment. But it is not true that most homeless people have adopted this lifestyle as a choice.

Mental illness is a leading cause of homelessness, and it is not a choice. People do not wake up one morning to think, "Gosh, I think I'll be paranoid schizophrenic today and ruin my life and the lives of everyone around me." Most mentally ill homeless people do try to access traditional mental health services, but the mental health centers often do not have the resources to effectively help all those who are also plagued by poverty, lack of shelter, food and public hostility, and who turn to substance abuse to cope with the internal voices they wish to drown, and the despair of their lives.

Homelessness is a terrible way to try to survive. Very few would do it had they any other option.

One final note: the fastest growing homeless population is children. I don't think 3-year-olds are homeless by choice, any more than is a kitten.

We need to be better caretakers for all who share our world, creatures of the forest, the sea, the grasslands, and yes, the streets.