findinghopepdx

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Blog Deliverable #8

In our last blog post together, we will be taking a look at three different social media posts across different platforms that each represent one of the “Seven C’s” from the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Komives & Wagner, 2016, p. 21). The three we will be covering are commitment, collaboration, and citizenship.

Commitment: Motivational energy to serve and that drives the collective effort. Commitment implies passion, intensity, and duration (UC San Diego, 2019).

From the Instagram account of Blanchet House, a nonprofit organization downtown that offers food and resources to people in need, a post is shared which depicts a volunteer from the cafe peer support team and their hoodie, which shares a compassionate message. The caption reads:

“Our cafe peer support team help deesculate people in crisis, find clothes, refer to shelters and medical care, and most importantly offer hope and belonging to people living on the margins of our community. They have a tough job that sometimes involves being threatened but also being hugged. We’re so grateful for their commitment to helping others.”

This post spoke to me about the commitment of each volunteer and member of this organization. Despite the hardships and difficulties of the position, involving potentially provoking somebody experiencing a mental health crisis and putting yourself in possible danger, the reward of helping others and contributing to the cause in a supportive role is enough for people to return.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blanchet House & Farm (@blanchethouse)

Collaboration - Working with others in a common effort. It constitutes the cornerstone value of the group leadership effort because it empowers self and others through trust (UC San Diego, 2019).

Covered in the blog post surrounding media and radio is the League of Women Voters of Portland Oregon. This podcast centering mental health in Portland from the perspectives of several different people representing different organizations is a poignant example of collaboration. Tasked with niche roles in the bigger issue of the mental health crisis in Portland, different people come together to talk about their perspective on the issue. We hear from the founder of the Mental Health Association of Portland, Jason Renaud, who primarily does advocacy work, Jill Kahnert, a drug and alcohol counselor who helps individual clients in the city, Scott Kerman, executive director of Blanchet House which distributes meals and resources in downtown Portland, and Rachael Duke, who directs Community Partners for Affordable Housing. All of these different people and their respective organizations are working on different tasks, but come together with their unique opinions and ideas to discuss mental health in Portland.

Citizenship: Process whereby the individual and the collaborative group become responsibly connected to the community and the society through the leadership experience (UC San Diego, 2019).

Finally, an example of citizenship being beautifully and meaningfully expressed in the community is through the candlelight vigil recently held for students’ mental health by the striking teachers of Portland, Oregon. The strike demands salary increase, more planning time for teachers, class size limits, support for physical health and safety of students, and a robust education model as well (Bartoo-Smith et al., 2023). Though, during this vigil, the teachers focused on their demands for further mental health support for students. This twitter post reminded me of the value of citizenship in leadership because though the teachers strike is also about salary increase, they are also thinking about the community at large, and especially their students. The connection of the teachers coming together to strike displays the change that is possible when individuals collaborate, and how this collaboration can affect change and benefit the group at large.

References

Bartoo-Smith, News, U., ICT, November 14, O. C. C., & 2023. (2023, November 14). At issue in Portland teachers strike is a policy that harms Native students. Oregon Capital Chronicle. https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/11/14/at-issue-in-portland-teachers-strike-is-a-policy-that-harms-native-students/#:~:text=Alvarez%20said%20the%20main%20issues

Komives, S. R., & Wagner, W. (2016). Leadership for a better world : understanding the social change model of leadership development (p. 21). Jossey-Bass.

UC San Diego. (2019). Leadership. Ucsd.edu. https://gels.ucsd.edu/hawaii/leadership.html

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Blog Deliverable #7

In order to gain complete understanding into the landscape of mental health and homelessness in Portland, it is critical to hear from voices that can speak to the issue firsthand. In this post, I will be sharing a video from the YouTube channel “Examining Portland,” which platforms people experiencing homelessness on the streets of Portland and allows them too share their story online for exposure and often, for help from viewers.

This is a video of Dakota, a young girl who was born and raised in Portland. Experiencing homelessness herself, she comments on how she has witnessed Portland go downhill over the years, and is experiencing some of that disparity herself. Dakota grew up in a house with her mother and father, until her father was kicked out when she was only five years old. Her mother supported her financially and allowed her a place to live until she was 18, when her mother kicked her and her sister out on Thanksgiving, telling them that she was selling the house to new residents from California, and that they would both need to find a place to live. She found an apartment and worked multiple jobs in efforts to pay her rent, but lost the apartment after she overworked herself and her disability flared up. Suffering from EDS, her connective tissues were not strong enough to sustain the heavy workload that she was engaging in. For the past year and a half, (at the time of this video,) she had been living in her car until somebody broke the window. Sleeping in the cold, she was searching for another option for her and her dog. Dakota deals with mental health issues and has faced chronic pain for her entire life. She talks openly about her addiction to opiates, saying that she hopes to be able to taper off and become sober. She’s incredibly motivated to get her life back on track and face the hand of cards that she’s been dealt, hoping to find housing, get back on medication to stabilize herself, and enter the workforce again.

I wanted to share this channel and this video specifically to bring light to some of the people that are facing the damage caused by inaccessibility to housing and resources. To watch more videos and learn more, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/@examiningportland

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Blog Deliverable #6: Post 3/3

After covering the factors contributed to homelessness and its connection to mental health disorders, the author suggests the impact that psychiatrists and physicians could have as agents of change. She suggests that medical training could include “structural competency” training which would enhance a practitioner's understanding of their patients life circumstances in order to contextualize their health problems. She links supporting data that social and environmental determinants of health account for 90% of health status, with only 10% being attributed to medical care (Doran et al., 2013, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Already, some physicians have asked for the right to prescribe housing as treatment to solve underlying health issues (Silver, 2018, as cited in Padgett, 2020), which has received support from O’Neill Institute as a “cost-saving human investment in children’s brain development,” and has been classified as a type of “preventative neuroscience” (Shats, 2014, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Homelessness is an issue that has terrible impacts on body and mind alike. She underscores the importance of housing in healthcare, claiming that moving from the streets to a home “affords a sense of safety, constancy in everyday life, privacy, and a secure platform for identity developments” (Padgett, 2007, as cited in Padgett, 2020).

Both of these articles similarly seek to understand mental health as it is linked to homelessness, and both utilize suggestions towards providers and practitioners in healthcare to improve the situation. Our second article by Padgett (2020), is more focused on the causes of homelessness and the effect that these social and environmental issues have on mental health, while also uniquely recognizing the structural and racial barriers that individuals face in the United States in regards to housing. The first article by Gutwinski et al. (2021) more so seeks to understand the commonalities in mental health disorders in populations of unhoused people across existing literature, and doesn’t have a heavy emphasis on understanding the exact causes or other social determinants of the disorders themselves. These two articles together are great resources for understanding a little bit more about the homelessness, mental health, and addiction crises in the United States and as they relate to our city. As found in the articles, mental health disorders are high among the population of unhoused individuals and can be largely attributed to social, economic, and discriminatory factors.

References

Dear, M. J., & Wolch, J. R. (1992). Landscapes of Despair From Deinstitutionalization to Homelessness. Princeton University Press.

Desmond, M. (2018). Heavy is the house: rent burden among the American urban poor. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 42, 160–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12529

Doran, K. M., Misa, E. J., & Shah, N. R. (2013). Housing as Health Care — New York’s Boundary-Crossing Experiment. New England Journal of Medicine, 369(25), 2374–2377. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp1310121

Gutwinski, S., Schreiter, S., Deutscher, K., & Fazel, S. (2021). The prevalence of mental disorders among homeless people in high-income countries: An updated systematic review and meta-regression analysis. PLOS Medicine, 18(8), e1003750. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003750

Henry, M., Mahathey, A., Morrill, T., Robinson, A., Shivji, A., Watt, R., & Abt Associates. (2018). The 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. In The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2018-AHAR-Part-1.pdf

Hopper, K., Jost, J., Hay, T., Welber, S., & Haugland, G. (1997). Homelessness, severe mental illness, and the institutional circuit. Psychiatric Services, 48(5), 659–665. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.48.5.659

Jones, A. A., Gicas, K. M., Seyedin, S., Willi, T. S., Leonova, O., Vila-Rodriguez, F., Procyshyn, R. M., Smith, G. N., Schmitt, T. A., Vertinsky, A. T., Buchanan, T., Rauscher, A., Lang, D. J., MacEwan, G. W., Lima, V. D., Montaner, J. S. G., Panenka, W. J., Barr, A. M., Thornton, A. E., & Honer, W. G. (2020). Associations of substance use, psychosis, and mortality among people living in precarious housing or homelessness: A longitudinal, community-based study in Vancouver, Canada. PLOS Medicine, 17(7), e1003172. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003172

Padgett, D. K. (2007). There’s no place like (a) home: Ontological security among persons with serious mental illness in the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 64(9), 1925–1936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.011

Padgett, D. K. (2020). Homelessness, housing instability and mental health: Making the connections. BJPsych Bulletin, 44(5), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2020.49

Rothstein, R. (2017). The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright Publishing Corporation.

SAMHSA. (2011). Current Statistics on the Prevalence and Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States. In SAMHSA. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/homelessness_programs_resources/hrc-factsheet-current-statistics-prevalence-characteristics-homelessness.pdf

Shats, K. (2014). Housing as Preventive Neuroscience. O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law.

Silver, J. (2018, July 9). Prescription Housing Saves Health Care Funding. GenBiz. https://genbiz.com/prescription-housing-saves-health-care-funding

Stubbs, J. L., Thornton, A. E., Sevick, J. M., Silverberg, N. D., Barr, A. M., Honer, W. G., & Panenka, W. J. (2020). Traumatic brain injury in homeless and marginally housed individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e19–e32. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30188-4

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Blog Deliverable #6: Post 2/3

In a similar vein, the article, “Homelessness, housing instability and mental health: making the connections,” by author Deborah K. Padgett (2020), researches the relationship between mental health and homelessness throughout history and across global structural factors. She cites the failure of deinstitutionalization as a major factor for the prevalence of homelessness in the United States today, when many psychiatric hospitals were closed and emptied in the 1960’s. These closures led to psychiatric patients being assigned into group homes, shelters, and the streets (Dear & Wolch, 1992, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Due to the harsh circumstances and constant exposure to the elements, people experiencing homelessness experience a wide range of physical and mental health challenges. Studies find that about 25-30% of people experiencing homelessness have severe mental illnesses, and rates of depression, suicidality, trauma, and substance abuse are much more prevalent in these populations than among their domiciled counterparts (SAMHSA, 2011, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Moreover, recent study findings show that more than 50% of unhoused people have experienced traumatic brain injuries (Stubbs et al., 2020, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Physical health is also critically affected, with common health problems on the streets including skin ulcerations, respiratory problems, and bodily injuries among other physical health issues. Transitioning into the effects that structural factors have on mental health and homelessness, Padgett explains the “institutional circuit,” which references the cycle that many unhoused individuals find themselves in circling in and out of emergency departments, hospitals, and jails (Hopper et al., 1997, as cited in Padgett, 2020). With a lack of consistent and affordable housing, this cycle is the only option for many people. In the United States, housing is viewed primarily as a commodity. Bound with economic gains like tax benefits and equity, owning a home gives one a financial advantage and the ability to accumulate wealth from their property ownership. Creating barriers for people in need of housing, there are landlords who own and rent decrepit properties to poor and working families. These landlords reap profits greater than counterparts for build for wealthier buys and renters (Desmond, 2018, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Other structural barriers include exclusionary zoning ordinances that protect single-family properties, making housing less available for renters and multi-family dwellers. Racial barriers play a part in reducing housing availability as well. The effects of centuries of institutionalized racism against African American people prevents African Americans from accessing housing and wealth accumulations. This contributes to their disproportionate representation among the homeless population (Rothstein, 2017, as cited in Padgett, 2020). Other factors include gentrification that displaces poor and working families, growing income disparities that make rent payments beyond the reasonable means of thousands of households (Desmond, 2018, as cited in Padgett, 2020), and government policies that limit public funding for housing. The author cites the term “structural violence,” which refers to the effects of socioeconomic inequities through chronic stress levels, a weakened immune system, and the erosion of emotional well-being.

Click on me to see post 3/3!

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Blog Deliverable #6: Post 1/3

This post will review and discuss the findings of two journal articles that center mental and physical health as public health issues and how these issues are interconnected with homelessness and housing instability. Both articles contain information about the housing and mental health crises in the U.S. which will be considered in their direct relevance to this blog and its content. 

Our first article titled, “The prevalence of mental disorders among homeless people in high-income countries: An updated systematic review and meta-regression analysis,” by Stefan Gutwinski et al. (2021), provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on mental disorders and major psychiatric diagnoses amongst homeless populations in high-income countries. As is clear given the content of this article, homelessness is a major pressing public health concern across many countries. In the U.S. alone, lifetime prevalence of homelessness is estimated at 4.2% and on any given night, around 550,000 individuals lack adequate residence (Henry et al., 2018, as cited in Gutwinski et al., 2021). Mental illness among people experiencing homelessness contributes to high rates of morbidity and mortality, increased rates of criminal behavior, and a prolonged course of homelessness and discrimination. This article identifies the importance of treating unhoused individuals in public healthcare, where there is a disproportionate rate of hospitalizations, chronic disease, and mortality (Jones et al., 2020, as cited in Gutwinski et al., 2021). This study was conducted to direct public policy with accurate estimates on the prevalence of mental health disorders amongst the population of people experiencing homelessness. The review found that psychiatric morbidity rates among people experiencing homelessness are high. With the final review examining 39 different studies with a total of 8,049 participants, there was consistency across studies with high prevalence of 7 psychiatric diagnoses. The most significant consistency was a pooled prevalence of 47% in alcohol related disorders across the population. Following not far behind were drug-related disorders, with a pooled prevalence of 22%. The article states these commonalities across the population suggests that alcohol and drugs are common coping mechanisms for people experiencing homelessness and related mental health disorders. Furthermore, treatable mental illnesses including major depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders shared prevalence rates. The findings of this study indicate that there is a major need for improvement and reviews of how unhoused individuals are treated in healthcare, throughout assessment, treatment, and follow-up services. The article specifically mentions the importance of revised treatment strategies for substance-use disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, as these are the most common prevelances as highlighted in the systematic review. In final analysis, this article aimed to understand the most common prevalences amongst the population of people experiencing homelessness in order to more accurately direct public policy and healthcare methods of treatment when working to support these populations.

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Blog Deliverable #5

In this post we'll be talking about radio. First I'll share with you a podcast about the issues of mental health and addiction we've been discussing alongside a song that you might know of that calls for social change.

Mental Health and Homelessness Panel Discussion

A podcast relevant to the issue of the mental health crisis in Portland is hosted by the League of Women Voters of Portland titled, “Mental Health and Homelessness Panel Discussion.” Four community speakers of the city of Portland discuss the issue with their respective expertise on the topic. The podcast begins with speaker Jill Kahnert, a certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, who has decades of experience working with homeless adults and youth. She speaks to the incapacity to feel human when experiencing addiction and mental health issues, sharing that she was someone who experienced homelessness and addiction herself, and is now in recovery. She summarizes the pure survival mindset that occurs when one is facing addiction, mental health issues, and homelessness. Her passion for this work comes from her experience and her desire to help others in similar situations. The next speaker is Jason Renaud, founder of the Mental Health Association of Portland, who I previously had the privilege of interviewing for this blog. Jason talks about the importance of providing adequate healthcare to people in need, and the destructive consequences when state and city governments fail to do so. He believes there are four large factors contributing to why Oregon and Portland specifically are having such a devastating experience with mental health and mental healthcare: 1) Even with cooperative patients and provider, the longevity and complexity of mental health disorders and addiction are incredibly difficult to treat. 2) Lack of federal, state, county, and city investments in public mental health and addiction services when the problem began to increase in the late 1980’s and 1990’s. 3) The lack of funding at the beginning of the problem failed to build the infrastructure necessary to support people now. 4) We are still hurting ourselves through policy. He expands on these topics more in the full episode. Next speaker is Scott Kerman, executive director of Blanchet House who has also been cited in my blog. He works with people experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental health struggles, and poverty. He speaks on the fentanyl epidemic and the exponential rise in overdoses on the streets in recent months. He talks about Blanchet House and their mission towards increasing hope for vulnerable people. Lastly, Rachael Duke, Executive Director of Community Partners for Affordable Housing speaks about her work in connecting people with long term affordable housing. Building affordable housing, providing services to residents, asset-managing the housing, and advocating for housing justice are just some of the things that Rachael and her colleagues do in their work.

This podcast is an excellent way to learn about the mental health, addiction, and homelessness crises in Portland from a very qualified group of people with different experiences around the issue. You can access the entire episode for free here: https://lwvpdxpodcasts.buzzsprout.com/1923318/12609334-mental-health-and-homelessness-panel-discussion

Take Me to Church

With LGBTQ+ adults twice as likely to experience a mental health condition (NAMI, 2013) and incredibly high suicide rates among LGBTQ+ youth (Paley, 2022), conversations about the dangers of anti-LGBTQ+ policy and disapproval of LGBTQ+ identities in social communities are imperative. One person initiating this conversation through his music is Hozier, an Irish singer-songwriter raised in a coastal town in Ireland called County Wicklow.

Since the beginning of his career, Hozier's music has preached the importance of equality, humanism, and social justice. Several of his songs address themes of homophobia, religious trauma, civil and reproductive rights, and violence against women, to name only a few. Hozier is an Irish singer-songwriter raised in a coastal town in Ireland called County Wicklow. As a struggling musician, he wrote and recorded his debut single, "Take Me to Church," in 2013 in his parent's attic. Take Me to church is a mid-tempo soul song that utilizes religious terminology in its lyrics to describe a gay relationship amidst discrimination from the church. In the song, he rejects organized religion, appropriating the church's rhetoric to praise his lover. He describes his "church" as a fluid relationship without rules as opposed to the Christian concept of submission to absolute truths. He suggests that "heaven" is accessed only through relational intimacy, stripping the word of its religious connotations. The song is an argument against the Catholic/Christian beliefs of homosexuality being immoral, impure, and sinful, contrasting these judgments with the idea of love as gentle and pure.

Shot in black and white, the music video depicts a gay relationship between two lovers and the subsequent discrimination and eventual brutal violence they face. The video shows the dangers and reality of the effects of anti-LGBT policies. The song and music video were intended to celebrate sexuality. In an interview, Hozier described this music as "asserting yourself and reclaiming your humanity through an act of love. Turning your back on the theoretical thing, something that's not tangible, and choosing to worship or love something that is tangible and real - something that can be experienced.”

References

Hozier. (2014). Hozier - Take Me To Church (Official Video). In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVjiKRfKpPI

League of Women Voters of Portland. (2023, April 27). Mental Health and Homelessness Panel Discussion [Podcast]. Buzzsprout. https://lwvpdxpodcasts.buzzsprout.com/1923318/12609334-mental-health-and-homelessness-panel-discussion

NAMI. (2013). LGBTQI | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Nami.org. https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/LGBTQ#:~:text=LGB%20adults%20are%20more%20than

Paley, A. (2022). 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. The Trevor Project; The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/

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Blog Deliverable #4

An overwhelming amount of Portlanders can agree that the mental health landscape of the city is in disarray. It’s evident that many Portlanders experiencing homelessness are suffering- facing addiction, overdoses, and mental health emergencies by the hour. How has policy affected this ongoing crisis? This is the question largely contested and hotly debated by news sources in the Portland area. In this post, we will be reviewing two vastly different takes on the issue. 

CBN News

Christian Broadcasting Network is a Pro-Trump administration broadcasting network which utilizes media evangelism to promote conservative activism (Isabella Burton, 2017). Visiting Portland, the network commented on the crises in the city in an article written by Dale Hurd (2023), criticizing Measure 110, an Oregon bill that decriminalizes most drugs with intention to reallocate funds from marijuana tax sales toward addiction and recovery services. The article states, “Things got worse for the city when Oregon voters approved Measure 110. It decriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs, making it a health care issue, not a crime. Police officials say it’s led to a huge increase in the amount of drugs on the streets, followed by a surge in crime” (Hurd, 2023). The article reviews surveys from business owners who report high levels of vandalism, and who are mostly moving out of the downtown area entirely. Pivoting away from drug use, Hurd remarks on the looser laws that exist in Portland around car theft, claiming it has encouraged more people to commit auto-theft. CBN predominantly blames progressive policy for the issue, concluding, “Critics call Portland the poster child for what happens when progressive policy goes too far” ​​(Hurd, 2023). While CBN does accurately display the severity of the issue, there is dispute on the cause.

StreetRoots

Jeremiah Hayden from StreetRoots disagrees that Measure 110 is to blame for the increase of crime and drug-use on the streets, and uses research to back his claims. StreetRoots is a nonprofit organization which publishes a newspaper weekly, covering topics related to social and environmental justice issues (StreetRoots, 2023). The newspaper is written by a blend of professional journalists, community members, and speakers from social justice oriented organizations. StreetRoots creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty by relying on them as their main vendors (StreetRoots, 2023). 

In an article titled “Measure 110 shows early successes despite backlash,” Jeremiah Hayden (2023), shares advice from health experts that recommend that Oregon should continue the practice of drug decriminalization and increase the availability drug treatment programs. He explains that while drug usage has risen consistently over the past decade in the entire United States, there is no evidence linking the implementation of Measure 110 to an increase in addictions or overdoses in Oregon. When Measure 110 was first implemented in 2021, the rate at which drugs were decriminalized did not match the rate at which funds were distributed for addiction and recovery services. Only late last year were funds available to create and improve treatment infrastructure. Once funds were available for use, great progress has been made in connecting addicts with recovery resources (Hayden, 2023). One flourishing example of Measure 110 at work is the Oregon Change Clinic, an outpatient treatment facility working with veterans and POC. The treatment outcomes for the clinic were incredibly low before they were given funding for housing, commented Shannon Jones, co-founder and CEO. She added that people in the program would sleep in the parking lot, waiting for the clinic to open in hopes for a meal. “People needed a place to live.” In September 2022, the clinic recieved funding to take over the 6th Avenue Motel and carry out renovations. The clinic is now currently providing intensive outpatient treatment with housing for people in a 6 month program. Measure 110 prioritizes grants for community-based service programs like Oregon Care Clinic. Despite the slow initial progress, Measure 110 has still seen great early success. Since the law started in 2021, Measure 110 has narrowed the gap on raical disparities in drug possession arrests, decreasing the disproportionate number of Black Oregonians arrested for drug possesssion by 77%. Moreover, the International Journal for Drug Policy report concluded that “These results suggest that shifting from an approach that prioritizes arresting individuals for possession of small amounts of drugs to one that replaces criminal arrests with non-criminal citations (Oregon) or requires prioritization of health-focused responses (Washington) significantly reduced drug possession arrests and did not increase arrests for crime overall or for violent crimes.” Throughout Hayden’s article (2023), he presents research supportive of this claim that Measure 110 has make positive change in the city. 

As highlighted by CBN, it’s true that many Portlanders do feel unsafe in their city (Hurd, 2023). However, data does indicate that crime has not seen an increase after the passing of Measure 110, and has instead yielded success in getting people off of the streets and into treatment facilities (Hayden, 2023). The argument between whether drug use should be treated as a mental health issue or a criminal activity is increasingly relevant as a long-term solution seeks to be found. 

References

Hayden, J. (2023, October 25). Measure 110 shows early successes despite backlash. Www.streetroots.org. https://www.streetroots.org/news/2023/10/25/measure-110-shows-early-successes-despite-backlash

Hurd, D. (2023, April 6). Portland’s Meltdown: A Progressive Experiment That “Has Gone Colossally Bad.” CBN. https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/portlands-meltdown-progressive-experiment-has-gone-colossally-bad

Isabella Burton, T. (2017, August 5). Understanding the Christian Broadcasting Network, the force behind the latest pro-Trump TV newscast. Vox.com. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwifnvODpKaCAxXHHjQIHYy0DyIQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fidentities%2F2017%2F8%2F5%2F16091740%2Fchristian-broadcasting-network-cbn-pat-robertson-trump&usg=AOvVaw0U9ab7auTazlQfzJ8f8qCO&opi=89978449

StreetRoots. (2023). About. Www.streetroots.org. https://www.streetroots.org/about

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Blog Deliverable #3

As illustrated in earlier posts, the mental health crisis in Portland has far-reaching consequences. Thousands of unhoused civilians are dying in the streets, there are dozens of fatal police encounters with people experiencing mental health crises, and exponential drug use are just some of the traumatic experiences occurring every day in the city of Portland.

One stakeholder in this issue are business owners who are concerned about the effect that people living on the streets will have on their businesses. Many businesses have completely moved out of Downtown Portland in hopes of improving their business in different locations (Dooris, 2023). Jessie Burke, co-owner of the Society Hotel, commented to the New York Times that violence in and around her hotel has led her to favoring treatment methods such as encampment removals and camping bans (Corkery, 2023). While many business owners, along with the city bureaucrats of Portland, believe that camp sweeps and camping bans are the solution to this problem (Zielinski, 2023), other main stakeholders in this issue hold different beliefs.

A New York Times article discussing the challenges of the fentanyl epidemic and homelessness crisis in Portland features Irida and Kaetly Wren, a couple from Tennessee who were shunned by family members for their gender identities. They were forced to sleep in their car and saw little hope for the future (Corkery, 2023). Hoping to find community and services, they drove over 2000 miles and relocated to Portland. While living on the streets, they discovered the issue of "infighting." People on the streets were paranoid that the fentanyl supply was limited, despite its massive availability. On April 18, a man cut through their tent and stabbed Irida six times. They planned to return to Tennessee, saying, "Portland is definitely not what I expected" (Corkery, 2023). Friends and family of addicts or recovering addicts in Portland, nonprofits and community organizations, and people experiencing homelessness themselves are voices that are critical in uncovering the truth behind this issue, and hopefully, a way to redemption and recovery.

Interview

I was fortunate enough to receive a response to my interview request from Jason Renaud, the founder and convener of conferences for the Mental Health Association of Portland who also happens to be an alumnus of Portland State University. 

What is your name and position at the Mental Health Association of Portland?

I'm Jason Renaud. I've been the convener of conferences for the Mental Health Association of Portland since 2003. 

What inspired you to pursue this line of work and this organization specifically?

I'm a person in long-term recovery and I've been about people who help people get sober and sane for most of my life. It's an intriguing problem on several levels; the complexity of the illnesses themselves, the social stigma that is extraordinarily strong among clinical professionals, the generations-long history of discrimination and oppression, the alcohol and drug industry's stalwart maintenance of the problem, lazy and stupid legislators - the list goes on. The problem is both political and personal, and oscillates back and forth rapidly.  The organization came about because other advocates in Oregon ceased advocacy work to pursue service contracts with local governments. 

Will you share your insights into the current landscape of mental health and substance abuse in Portland? What are some major challenges you’ve observed?

We don't use the term substance abuse; the term addiction is more accurate. Either measured nationally or internationally, Oregon's public addiction and mental illness service system is bare and fragile. It often requires skilled navigators to find access points, which may be long distances from where the individual lives.

How do you think mental health health and substance abuse issues impact homelessness in Portland?

We'll have over the winter about 10,000 people who are homeless and unsheltered - some briefly, some for the full duration. We have under 2,000 places for them to stay - which are all already filled. About 50%-60% are addicts, some in remission because of poverty. The remainder are almost all people with trauma disorders, intellectual disorders, personality disorders, and neurodivergent disorders. Homelessness is a natural consequence of not providing effective treatment for people who have these illnesses.

What are some key barriers that individuals who are struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues face when seeking treatment?

The primary barrier is there is not sufficient or effective treatment for these illnesses available. We're short about 5000 skilled and licensed workers in Oregon. And because of a long-stalled workforce, there isn't likely to be sufficient or effective treatment in the next decade or so. The result, as it has been for decades before us with the same conditions, misery, and death.

Lastly, is there any advice you would offer to individuals looking to get involved in their community to make a positive impact?

Volunteer at St Francis Dining Hall or Blanchet House or with JOIN. If you do not have time to volunteer, write a check to any of the dozens of public mental health agencies.

Hearing from Jason was meaningful and exposed me to some of the real-world statistics and experiences that are occurring in my community due to a gross lack of resources and action by government agencies. His words highlighted the absolute necessity of advocacy groups in combating these deeply entrenched issues. 

Jason’s Renaud currently manages the Mental Health Association and its projects. 37 years into his own recovery, he advocates for people experiencing addiction and homelessness. From the website of the Mental Health Association of Portland: “​​In 2010 he ran for Portland City Council on a police reform platform. In 2014 Renaud produced the award-winning documentary film Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse. He has been amicus curiae to US DOJ v City of Portland since 2018. He is a former Crisis Intervention Team trainer and a community engagement trainer for the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. Currently, he serves on the board of the Lone Fir Cemetery Foundation, Multnomah County’s Transforming Justice Steering Committee, and Portland’s Police Accountability Commission, and was an advisor to the TRANSFORM911 Project at the University of Chicago Health Lab in 2022” (Renaud, 2023).

If you’re interested in looking into his past and current projects, they are linked below. I have also attached the organizations that Jason recommended pursuing volunteer work at below.

Jason's information and projects:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrenaud/

https://twitter.com/renaud_pdx

Recommend organizations to volunteer for:

References

Budnick, N. (2018, April 3). Assault reports spark concerns about mental health facility. PortlandTribune.com. https://www.portlandtribune.com/news/assault-reports-spark-concerns-about-mental-health-facility/article_d86e9175-9229-575a-81d1-05ff65954308.html

Corkery, M. (2023, July 29). Fighting for Anthony: The Struggle to Save Portland, Oregon. Nytimes.com; New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/us/portland-oregon-fentanyl-homeless.html?unlocked_article_code=dmlSM8I6Xz3QigxMt48PoRS9hs58FA91GnN81CZb6TtoShlZy3gIokXZC1x22xc-ZXHe0csS9o7ArT7XiXH4Tcref9-sp42Nto1YuBN6P3_3boItBdlDMN00ftE-r68V0AO6Qf8DZ-uORlkitfyFGGauhoOAqgtK4CLzuRON-fdDwJbJsVxPVmVk9phWJm1u53Qgg11xwjTlLnfI58YXE3NuOnTJmceLKvc3wxJAsiwkQ3GenfWjSz_OmCIqku4X8HaWjFcEAWR66BpaGrAaPdKS9HZCKUte1llWITt6sNA6O2GfnBiNPVVATs21DHjN7Lh_aaqndHxRLQHMBc6AHruNjtY06w&smid=tw-share

Dooris, P. (2023). Downtown Portland’s resemblance to a dead mall. Kgw.com. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/downtown-portland-rei-vandalism-theft/283-87c9ac7d-fe93-40dd-b81b-7ee1688b1f0a

KOIN 6. (2020, October 2). Downtown Portland businesses: How many open, closed or empty. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlAT8GQ3SYs

Renaud, J. (2023). Jason Renaud – Background – Mental Health Association of Portland. Mentalhealthportland.org. https://www.mentalhealthportland.org/background-jason-renaud/

Zielinski, A. (2023, March 22). In enforcing Portland camping ban, Mayor Ted Wheeler wants help from people who have experienced homelessness. Opb. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/22/ted-wheeler-portland-oregon-camping-ban-help-from-people-who-were-homeless/

[findinghopepdx]

Blog Deliverable #2:

(“Oregon State Hospital,” 2010)

In 1843, the first 'hospital' in the Oregon Territory was opened by James Hawthorne. Just a few years after its foundation, the Oregon Hospital for the Insane proceeded with its first mass grave burials for inmates at Lone Fir Cemetery in SE Portland. Since its final closure in 1883, an estimated 130 bodies are thought to have been buried in the cemetery. In the 1940s, Multnomah County built an office building over the graves, which was torn down in 2005. Plans were made but never completed, and it remains an unused gravel lot (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 1868, Hillside Farm for the Poor opened on Canyon Road near the Portland Zoo. It closed down in 1910 after members of local charities reported the building's unsanitary and deplorable conditions, which were expected to aid those with mental health conditions. Remains were discovered during the exhibit construction of the Oregon Zoo in 2008 and again in 2013. The remains were reburied and not memorialized (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 1923, a eugenics law passed in Oregon, allowing and even requiring the sterilization of "persons, male or female, who are feeble-minded, insane, epileptic, habitual criminals, moral degenerates, and sexual perverts, who are or ... who are likely to become a menace to society" (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013). Forced sterilization was routinely required to be granted release from a mental facility (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 1942, close to 500 patients and staff members at the Oregon State Hospital were accidentally poisoned by a patient helping in the kitchen. Forty-six were killed, but conditions did not change (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 1944, more than 20 deaths occurred at the Jail Drunk Tank, yet no changes occurred (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 1963, President Kennedy signed the federal Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Construction Act, launching a national effort to move psychiatric patients from hospitals to community-based clinics. This initiative largely failed. State hospitals closed down, but cities and counties could not provide adequate services (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 1983, the Pacific Gateway Hospital & Counseling Centers opened as Oregon's sole private psychiatric hospital. It closed in 2001 after accusations of security issues and the murder of patient Jose Mejia Poot by three police officers. It was bulldozed in 2002 (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 2003, Kendra James was killed during a traffic stop by a Portland Police Officer. Her death began a series of high-profile police-involved deaths of people impaired by mental illnesses, including James Jahar Perez, Raymond Gwerder, James Chasse, Keaton Otis, Jack Collins, Aaron Campbell, Brad Morgan, and Billy Simms (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 2007, Mayor Tom Potter created a Mental Health Task Force, which called for the retraining of police officers (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 2010, after years of legal and political damage to Portland leaders following police-involved deaths of impaired individuals, a lawsuit was brought by the Department of Justice. They settled for many reforms to police training, procedures, public oversight, and urgent care for people with mental health conditions. No police officers were held accountable for the murders of the subjects in the lawsuit (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013).

In 2019-2021, Oregon had the fastest-growing rate of drug overdose deaths among 15-19-year-olds (Wilson, 2023).

In 2022, Oregon ranked miserably in a national report published by Mental Health America, indicating the highest prevalence of mental illness in the entire country (Manfield, 2022).

The painful effects of untreated mental health conditions that we see today are not a new phenomenon. The longstanding history of violence and apathy towards people experiencing mental health crises in Oregon by government and state officials has created a culture of carelessness at the bureaucratic level. It has been left to community-based organizations to initiate the work that has yet to be seen in caring for members of the city in need of support.

In an interview with KGW News, Portland residents reflect on the homeless camps across the street from their homes. Nathan Lamb comments, "At 8 o'clock, there are folks who are smoking meth, they're shooting up. There's domestic violence, and it's absolutely absurd" (KGW News, 2022). Nathan spent months attempting to get the city's attention, writing hundreds of emails and making relentless calls. "No one responds. No one seems to care" (KGW News, 2022). Eventually, the Rapid Response Team showed up to sweep the camp. A homeless woman living at this camp gave her insight. "We're human too. You know what I mean? We're just going through hard times right now" (KGW News, 2022). Commenting on the sweep of the camp by the Rapid Response team, she asserted, "We appreciate that, but two seconds later, all that stuff is about to be back on the ground. You know what I mean? Because we don't have a place to stay, we're on drugs, and that's just the way it is. If you move someone away from the situation, you've got to give them a solution. Because there's a problem, but what are you going to do to solve it?" (KGW News, 2022).

Homeless encampment removals are a highly utilized method of treatment against the homelessness crisis in Portland in recent years. In October 2022, 87 camps were swept in a single week. Throughout the rest of October and November, the average number of sweeps increased fivefold compared to the first three months of the year (Hayden, 2022).

These sweeps increased dramatically in April and May when Ted Wheeler ordered an unprecedented mass sweep of the Old Town neighborhood in an attempt to clean the city at the expense of the former residents of these camps. "It's unclear where the people who lived in those camps have gone. But Portland-area shelters don't have room for most of them, and city and county data indicate most people uprooted from camping on public land don't want to live in group shelters" (Hayden, 2022).

Many outreach workers and advocates for homeless individuals have also commented that when attempting to find beds for people, it could be nearly impossible to find open beds that fit the individual's personal criteria, in cases where a family shelter or domestic violence shelter is necessary (Hayden, 2022).

Kaia Sand, the director of the nonprofit Street Roots in Portland, explained the hesitation of unhoused individuals to accept the resources offered at camp sweeps. "When the options are about moving into a space that is not housing and might create new problems, lead to losing one's autonomy, adding to mental health stressors, that can feel like a less good option than just staying put where at least you know what you've got" (Hayden, 2022).

Other methods have been tried in attempts to control the damage of substance abuse, housing, and mental health crises expressing themselves in the city.

Portland Street Response, accessible through a 911 call, is a program affiliated with Portland Fire & Rescue that provides ongoing assistance to people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises (Portland Street Response, 2022).

In June of this year, the city of Portland approved a public ban that prohibits camping on public property from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., along with introducing stricter rules on camping during all other hours (Zielinski, 2023b). The policy states that people cannot build a fire, use a gas heater, build temporary structures, litter, or dig into the ground at their camping location. Similarly to the camping sweeps, this method intends to benefit business owners and onlookers of the city while disregarding unhoused people entirely. Violators will receive a written warning upon the first offense, with a $100 fine or a jail sentence of up to 30 days imposed for a third violation (Zielinski, 2023b).

(Zielinski, 2023a).

Despite the ban's approval, many people vehemently oppose the policy and have spoken out about the risks to OPB. "Street Roots vendor George McCarthy, who was homeless in Portland for 10 years, said, "This proposition will immediately make your life criminal just for being alive. This will make it much harder for the most vulnerable people in the city to live" (Zielinski, 2023a). Michelle Hornbeck (pictured left), who has previously experienced homelessness, expressed concerns about women and children who are homeless and the unrealistic expectation of sleeping at night. "We don't sleep at night. That's when the mother in us comes out, that's when the survivor in us comes out" (Zielinski, 2023a). "Sandra Comstock, director of homeless service provider Hygiene 4 All, noted that "slapping $100 fines on homeless Portlanders will result in warrants and jail time that raise, rather than lower, barriers to health and housing" (Zielinski, 2023a).

Brandi Tuck, director of Portland Homeless Family Solutions, criticized Wheeler's decision, explaining that moving unhoused people into mass group homes is inhumane, as these individuals are likely highly distressed and emotionally aroused (Zielinski, 2022). "So we're talking about taking folks who are in survival mode and putting them all in mass shelters and expecting them to follow rules and get along with each other? Their brains are not capable of doing that. That exacerbates that distress response. We are creating neurobiological harm to these folks" (Zielinski, 2022).

Katrina Holland of JOIN argued that her organization has collaborated with landlords in securing potential "master leasing" apartments that could house people in a matter of days (Zielinski, 2022). This process entails organizations making agreements with private landlords to cover rent costs for houseless individuals. This is a promising new solution that opts for permanent, private housing over short-term shelter. Paired with rigorous funding for substance abuse treatment, it could be hugely successful. "There are a lot of proposals on the table that are proven to work. The city has just ignored them" (Zielinski, 2022).

In 2020, Measure 110 was passed, an act that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of drugs and directed revenue from marijuana sales to fund drug treatment and recovery services. In a preliminary report published in February of this year, the Measure succeeded in helping more than 60,000 people who were struggling with addiction reach services (Best, 2023). However, comments from unhoused individuals communicate the persevering need for housing alongside addiction treatment. "A couple of weeks ago, I didn't care if I died," said Castle. "There's no detox here. The hospital won't do anything for you; they'll give you a shot and send you back out on the streets" (Best, 2023).

The passing and implementation of Measure 110 is a hopeful beacon of progress in the uphill battle against substance abuse and mental health crises, though without lasting recovery services and further housing initiatives, there will not be remarkable change (Rothenburg, 2023). Despite substantial failings from the city and political leaders, several strides have been made through the passionate efforts of several organizations, toward the ambitious goal of helping people attain sobriety, housing, mental healthcare, and basic needs.

With 13 locations throughout Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding Metro Area, LifeWorks NW has been making widespread progress serving the community for over 60 years (LifeWorks NW, 2023). LifeWorks offers "mental health and addiction services for children and adolescents, walk-in and mobile crisis programs, family and individual community-based support programs, and peer-delivered services" (LifeWorks NW, 2023). With antiracist, equity-driven foundations, LifeWorks' mission is to "provide the highest quality, culturally responsive behavioral healthcare possible throughout the lifespan" (LifeWorks NW, 2023).

"LifeWorks NW promotes a healthy community by providing quality and culturally responsive mental health and addiction services across the lifespan throughout Washington County, Clackamas County, and Multnomah County" (LifeWorks NW, 2023).

Offering incredibly comprehensive addiction treatments and programs, LifeWorks NW plays a monumental role in encouraging and maintaining sobriety in those suffering from mental health conditions. Throughout 2022-2023, 98.7% of clients of LifeWorks NW were able to avoid the need for emergency services entirely through alternate treatment (LifeWorks NW, 2023). Serving nearly 20,000 people in 2021-2022, LifeWorks treats people from all walks of life, from every age, and from every background (LifeWorks NW, 2023).

Another organization that has served the community throughout these times of crises is Blanchet House. Mentioned in my last post, Blanchet House is a nonprofit social services organization in Old Town, Portland that offers food, clothing, and residential programs. From farm to table, Blanchet House serves the community with 3 hot meals 6 days a week for free. Clean clothing, hygiene products, and sleeping essentials are also offered during meal services. The residential program supports men struggling with addiction, unemployment, mental health, housing, or other challenges, offering renewal work programs and housing to struggling individuals (Blanchet House, 2023).

"Blanchet House's mission and core values embody our commitment to serving anyone in need with dignity and without discrimination or judgment. We recognize that our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are disproportionately impacted by socio-economic injustice. We recognize that this injustice can lead to housing and food insecurity, creating the need for our programs. These BHH services, then, must exemplify our commitment to equity, ensuring that those most affected by an injustice have the necessary resources to live freely and fairly. BHH's founding ideals prioritize each individual's needs in order to meet all people we serve where they are" (Blanchet House, 2023).

Active on platform X (formerly known as Twitter) and other social media sites, Blanchet House advocates for the rights of unhoused individuals and shares heartwarming stories of their community members and their services' impact on those who are struggling.

In 2020, Blanchet House helped more than 30,000 people (Blanchet House, 2023).

The lack of available treatment for unhoused individuals and those experiencing mental health crises directly impacts the prevalence of social issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, crime against people and property, unemployment, homelessness, hunger, auto crashes, and gun accidents. At a governmental level, despite small wins such as Measure 110, there have yet to be feasible options that will improve the circumstances of those who need support. With community-focused organizations such as these, there is hope for remission and recovery.

Oregon's historical pattern of neglect in addressing mental health and substance abuse issues proves a consistent failure in meeting people's needs. From early mass burials of mental health inmates (Mental Health Association of Portland (2013), to recent homeless encampment sweeps (KGW News, 2022), there's a blatant and historically surviving lack of comprehensive, compassionate solutions.

The passing of Measure 110 and the efforts of organizations like LifeWorks NW and Blanchet House are encouraging signs of progress. However, they also highlight the incessant need for lasting recovery services, long-term housing solutions, and mental healthcare as opposed to band-aid solutions. Only then will we progress as a city in meeting the basic survival needs of our citizens, and only then will the mental health and well-being of our communities begin to improve.

References

Best, B. (2023, February 5). Report on Measure 110 shows more than 60,000 people struggling with addiction were helped. Kgw.com. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/impact-of-oregon-measure-110/283-85f10e28-c6cf-47d4-b775-84c5e6828178#:~:text=In%20a%20preliminary%20report%2C%20The

Blanchet House. (2023). Free Food and Meals Services. Blanchet House. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://blanchethouse.org/free-food-meal-services/&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1698008433754087&usg=AOvVaw0pY5ZDjVX12SKdcvB7LWtm

Hayden, N. (2022, December 10). Portland has dramatically escalated tent sweeps. Oregonlive.com; The Oregonian . https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/12/portland-has-dramatically-escalated-tent-sweeps.html

KGW News. (2022, August 29). Homeless campsite in SE Portland inconveniencing neighbors and pushing them out of city. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDayVogVPcg

LifeWorks NW. (2023). Our History. Lifeworks Northwest. https://www.lifeworksnw.org/our-history/

Manfield, L. (2022, October 17). Oregon Ranks Worst in Nation for Prevalence of Mental Illness. Willamette Week. https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2022/10/17/oregon-ranks-worst-in-nation-for-prevalence-of-mental-illness/

Mental Health Association of Portland. (2013, September). Our History – Mental Health Association of Portland. Mentalhealthportland.org. https://www.mentalhealthportland.org/about-2/oregons-mental-health-history/

Oregon State Hospital. (2010). Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/3192915

Portland Street Response. (2022, December 15). Portland Street Response | Portland.gov. Www.portland.gov. https://www.portland.gov/streetresponse#:~:text=Portland

Rothenburg, R. (2023, July 13). Is Portland’s Decriminalization of Drug Use the Right Approach? New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/13/opinion/letters/portland-drugs-decriminalization.html#:~:text=The%20citizens%20of%20Portland%20who,drug%20treatment%20and%20recovery%20services

Wilson, C. (2023, May 30). “It’s crazy out there”: The reasons behind Oregon’s deepening drug crisis. Opb. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/30/oregon-worsening-drug-crisis-fentanyl-overdoses/

Zielinski, A. (2022, February 21). Hall Monitor: Why Homelessness Experts Have Rejected Mayor’s Shelter Plan. Portland Mercury. https://www.portlandmercury.com/city-hall/2022/02/21/38611069/hall-monitor-why-homelessness-experts-have-rejected-mayors-shelter-plan

Zielinski, A. (2023a, May 31). Portland camping ban proposal draws strong opposition in marathon meeting. OPB.org. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/05/31/portland-homeless-camping-ban-proposal-council-meeting/

Zielinski, A. (2023b, June 7). Portland approves ban on daytime street camping and imposes other restrictions. OPB.org. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/06/07/portland-oregon-approves-ban-daytime-street-camping-homeless/‌

[findinghopepdx]

Blog Deliverable #1:

In recent years, the Portland Metro Area, notably the Old Town (pictured, Okabe, 2020), Pearl, and Downtown districts, have witnessed a concerning surge in the number of individuals grappling with mental and behavioral health emergencies. This escalating issue presents a critical responsibility for the city of Portland, one that entails safeguarding its infrastructure, supporting mental health organizations, and, most significantly, prioritizing the well-being of its residents. An important voice in this discourse is that of Scott Kerman, a representative of Blanchet House, a non-profit social services organization nestled in the heart of Old Town (Castillo, 2021).

"So we're witnessing exacerbated levels of mental health signs and symptoms. We're observing greater levels of delusion, hallucinations, greater levels of disassociation, and even catatonia among the people that we serve. And I think it's reasonable to understand why we're seeing this exacerbated mental health. I mean, it has been a humanitarian crisis, and I hope we're not taking the meaning out of that word by using it so often, but the conditions are deplorable. People are living without proper access to sanitation, without proper access to hygiene, maybe have not slept indoors in 19 months. They can't launder their clothes, they can't really get ready access to showers. So, imagine how that would affect somebody who is already suffering from trauma and mental illness and perhaps substance abuse use. I think it's common sense for all of us, we can understand that, for the people that we're serving in Old Town and throughout the district here, that the deplorable conditions and the stress and the anxiety of the past 19 months has obviously taken a terrible toll on their mental health” (Castillo, 2021).

A survey conducted by KGW8 offers a poignant glimpse into the sentiments of Portland residents, who no longer feel safe while utilizing public transit, walking or biking through the city, or even when sending their children to school. These feelings of insecurity are attributed to a host of factors, including the surge in crime rates, rampant public drug use, the perceived inadequacy of police responses, and the worsening mental health crises (Koch & Parfitt, 2023).

Tragic incidents have further highlighted the pressing need for mental health services within the city. A striking example is the case of 27-year-old Cameron David Storer, who confessed to arson after setting fire to a historic downtown church (Seymore, 2023). Storer claimed to be motivated by voices in their head that threatened harm. Storer had a history of schizophrenia and drug use. Similarly, Koryn Kraemer was accused of a gruesome attack on a 78-year-old man at a Max platform in Gresham, during which Kraemer chewed off a portion of the victim's ear and face, exposing the skull (Thompson & Dunn, 2023). Brianna Workman, just weeks earlier, was accused of pushing a three-year-old child unprovoked off the Gateway Max platform onto the train tracks (Arden, 2022). These incidents serve as reminders of the dire consequences of unaddressed mental health crises.

Community organizations and residents across Portland have recognized the urgent need for preemptive and on-the-ground mental health services. The interconnected triad of substance abuse, homelessness, and mental health issues perpetuates a vicious cycle of trauma, crime, violence, and damage throughout the city. Without the allocation of proper resources and governmental commitment of time and funding, individuals have no essential services to be connected to. The consequences of this lack of resources are evident in the increased frequency of violent crimes linked to mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders. Without concerted efforts to provide quality treatment to those experiencing mental and behavioral health emergencies, the safety and stability of Portland remain at risk, and its path to redemption seems uncertain.

References

About Us - Blanchet House. (2018). Blanchet House. https://blanchethouse.org/aboutus/

Arden, A. (2022, December 30). Woman accused of shoving child onto MAX train tracks. KOIN.com. https://www.koin.com/news/crime/woman-accused-of-shoving-child-onto-max-train-tracks/

Castillo, E. (2021, October 25). Mental health crisis affects Old Town Portland. Opb. https://www.opb.org/article/2021/10/25/mental-health-crisis-affects-old-town-portland/

Koch, A., & Parfitt, J. (2023). Despite crossover, different issues motivate people who left Portland compared to those who remain, survey finds. Kgw.com. https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/portland-insights-survey-homeless-crime-cost-moving-away/283-1cfdf9b3-2650-47fd-b91b-14fb1fdce711#

Okabe, B. (2020, November 18). Photos | Snapshots of Old Town: Humanity undone. Www.streetroots.org. https://www.streetroots.org/news/2020/11/18/snapshots-old-town-humanity-undone

Seymore, J. (2023, January 6). The connection between Portland’s recent crimes and possible mental illness. KOIN.com. https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/the-connection-between-portlands-recent-crimes-and-possible-mental-illness/

Thompson, B., & Dunn, H. (2023, January 3). Elderly man’s ear chewed off in MAX station attack in Gresham. KOIN.com. https://www.koin.com/news/crime/police-elderly-mans-ear-bitten-off-during-attack-on-max-platform/‌

[findinghopepdx]

Welcome to my blog. This is a site centered around the ongoing mental health crisis in Portland, Oregon. Please see posts for further information.