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Common Purpose, Citizenship, and Commitment.

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A post shared by Black Owned Maine (@blackownedmaine)

Through common purpose we are able to achieve more. Once we stop thinking about me and thinking about WE, that is when real change occurs. The above link is an example of how we can come together to facilitate change through our common purpose.

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

Above is a post of a showing quilts that a lady made for some homeless members of our community. She felt that homeless people were not being noticed, so she did her part as a citizen of the community.

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

The post above demonstrates commitment. She made hundreds of meals for the homeless community. That is not easy. When you are committed, you make it happen!

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Youth Mental Health Video

Many teens experience depression and anxiety and might go through a brief period of crisis, like a bad break-up or an episode of bullying. The pandemic turned up the volume on all of those problems, worsening already long wait lists for child and adolescent therapists.

The state must shore up services to keep these real, but manageable, problems from becoming critical. Increasing school counseling services, running the 988 youth line, and investing in the behavioral health workforce are all likely to help.

But a subset of young people face much more serious headwinds and need much more help. These are kids and teens who are growing up while dealing with profound pain and stress: Homelessness, a serious mental illness, a developmental disability, experiences of abuse and neglect or some combination of all of it.

And kids are falling through some of the worst gaps in Oregon’s mental health care system. Those gaps were created in the past 20 years, in part, by the state’s efforts to save money and increase the efficiency of the Medicaid program.

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Academic Perspectives on the Mental Health Crisis...

Existing models of care and available treatment approaches fail to adequately address the global crisis of mental health care. Mental illness accounts for about one-third of the world’s disability caused by all adult health problems, resulting in enormous personal suffering and socioeconomic costs. Severe mental health problems including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders affect all age groups and occur in all countries, including the US, Canada, the European Union countries, and other developed and developing countries. Mental illness is closely associated with poverty, wars, and other humanitarian disasters, and in some cases, leads to suicide, one of the most common causes of preventable death among adolescents and young adults. 

Mental illness is the pandemic of the 21st century and will be the next major global health challenge. Despite the increased availability of antidepressants during the past few decades, limited efficacy, safety issues, and high treatment costs have resulted in an enormous unmet need for the treatment of depressed mood. It is estimated that 350 million individuals experience depression annually. On average, it takes almost 10 years to obtain treatment after symptoms of depressed mood begin, and more than two-thirds of depressed individuals never receive adequate care. Enormous psychological, social, and occupational costs are associated with depressed mood, which is the leading cause of disability in the US for individuals aged 15 to 44 years with annual losses in productivity in excess of $31 billion. 

Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29-year-olds, resulting in enormous social disruption and losses in productivity. Between 10 and 20 million depressed individuals attempt suicide every year and approximately 1 million complete suicide. In response to these alarming circumstances, in 2016 the World Health Organization declared depression to be the leading cause of disability worldwide. 

More than 85% of the world’s population lives in 153 low- and middle-income countries. Poverty is linked to a higher burden of mental illness, with variables such as education, food insecurity, housing, social class, socioeconomic status, and financial stress exhibiting a strong association. Most of these countries allocate scarce financial resources to mental health care needs and have grossly inadequate professional mental health services. A recent comprehensive survey of European Union member countries found that 38.2% (approximately 165 million people) met the criteria for a psychiatric disorder, with fewer than one-third receiving any treatment at all. Disorders of the brain, including psychiatric disorders, were found to be the largest contributor to the all-cause morbidity burden as measured by disability-adjusted life years. In response to shared global concerns over the crisis in mental health care, in 2012 the World Health Organization published the “Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020” and set forth 4 major objectives:

more effective leadership and governance for mental health

the provision of comprehensive, integrated mental health and social care services in community-based settings

implementation of strategies for promotion and prevention

strengthened information systems, evidence, and research.

References

Drake, R. E., & Bond, G. R. (2021). Psychiatric Crisis Care and the More is Less Paradox. Community Mental Health Journal, 57(7), 1230-1236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00829-2

Samartzis, L., & Talias, M. A. (2020). Assessing and Improving the Quality in Mental Health Services. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010249

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RESPECT

This song by Aretha Franklin is about being respected as a woman. The way Franklin spelled out R-E-S-P-E-C-T ensured the message was loud and clear. She flipped the song from a plea from a man to the woman he loves to a woman’s demand for respect. In Redding’s version there was no spelling of “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” and no backup singers. In its original form, the song also played out as a more male-dominated relationship (i.e. show respect to your man), until Franklin called for “respect” towards women. The song became a running anthem for the feminist and civil rights movements throughout the 1970s.

Franklin came to the song in 1967 and made it her own. She subtly shifted the point of view. Where Redding had promised, “What you want, honey you got it,” Franklin sang, “baby I got it.” And where Redding asked for respect when he came home, Franklin requested “a little respect when you get home.” In her hands, the song sounds like a call from a woman to man to acknowledge all that she gives him. That includes “all of my money” — the female speaker in Franklin’s version was apparently not just financially self-sufficient but able to support her partner. Proclaiming this fact proudly still feels revolutionary today.

In her 1998 autobiography titled Aretha: From These Roots, the ‘Queen of Soul’ said the lyrics of “Respect” speak to anyone who feels unappreciated. She also talked about how the song went on to become a battle cry of the civil rights movement in the United States. Aretha's version of the song allows us to see the perspective of a woman in what used to be considered a man's world.

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Homeless but Human

It is important to understand that we all go through things. We all have hardships. Something that is hard for one person, may be easy for another and vice versa. This podcast dives into a homeless man's hardships. He struggles with mental health and lives on the streets. Some of us struggle with mental health, but have a roof over our heads and a nice bed to sleep in.

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Varying/Opposing Views on Homelessness...

The first article dives into the mental health crisis in Portland, while the second article speaks of a plan to restrict tent setups for the homeless in the UK because they have supposedly made a “lifestyle choice”. It is easy to assume that everyone has a choice. It is easy to look at someone and say they put themselves in that situation. However, that is not the case with mental health. It is hard to pull yourself out of a hole. Nova Honey was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and “She remembers the world getting louder as if a crowd of voices was swelling around her. It hurt her ears and, sometimes, the voices would tell her to harm herself – several times she sat in the middle of the road on Portland’s eastside waiting to be hit by a car, waiting for everything to disappear” (Hayden, 2023). Imagine experiencing that every day. Imagine someone assuming that is the lifestyle you chose. 

There are lots of people who do not feel the same way. Home Secretary Suella Braverman plans to implement punishment for those pitching tents. “She said the government would always support those who are genuinely homeless” (Malnick, 2023). Rather than addressing the reason people are homeless and pitching tests, the Home Secretary is assuming that all homeless people are in the state of mind to choose. Nobody wants to be homeless. Nobody wants to have to pitch a tent on the side of the road. Rather than addressing the systemic issues, she chooses to blame those that are the most affected. She does not want to see tents on the street. She does not want to see drug paraphernalia. She is choosing to blame the victim rather than the system. If the government helped those who are “genuinely homeless”, we would not have this issue. 

References:

Malnick, E., & Perry, K. (2023, November 4). Homeless people in tents have made a ‘lifestyle choice’, says Braverman. Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/11/04/suella-braverman-ban-rough-sleepers-use-tents/ 

Hayden, N. (2023, January 30). 63% of homeless Portlanders report suffering from mental health issues and say they need more help: False promises survey. Oregon Live. Retrieved November 3, 2023, from https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2022/06/63-of-homeless-portlanders-report-suffering-from-mental-health-issues-and-say-they-need-more-help-false-promises-survey.html 

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Stakeholders

The main stakeholders are homeless people. “Daniel Toole said he thinks about homelessness a lot and he often gets frustrated with what he sees as a lack of willpower on the part of city officials who could be working towards solutions” (OPB, 2022). “Keith McEntire said he doesn’t like the idea of large, city-sanctioned encampments at all and would consider leading a protest against the proposal. He also made a comparison to concentration camps. But there are some people he thinks should be forced into large tent cities” (OPB, 2022). Glenna Williams said she feels fortunate to have a spot in a shelter and she would like to see more low-income housing available to people like her” (OPB, 2022). “Douglas Marcks compared the proposed idea of large, outdoor encampments to “concentration camps.” He’s not the only person to make that comparison, and the idea has gotten a lot of pushback from city officials and community groups. Many people have been offended that places with food and hygiene and social services are being compared to death camps, where millions of people were killed” (OPB, 2022). Many people do not want to see the effects of homelessness, drug use, and the mental health crisis. Those people are not the ones living it. Homeless people are not receiving the help that they need. If I walk down the street and see needles or tents on the sidewalk, in that moment I may feel uncomfortable. That does not compare to what homeless people feel. I will go home later and most likely forget about it. I am not losing anything, while they have lost everything. 

References J. S. (2022, April 20). People experiencing homelessness in Portland weigh in on solutions. Retrieved October 28, 2023, from https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/20/conversations-with-people-experiencing-homelessness-in-portland-oregon/

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The Context

The issue of homelessness in the United States, including Portland, is multifaceted and often met with varying perceptions. People, organizations, and state agencies view homelessness through different lenses. While some approach it with empathy and understanding, others exhibit a less compassionate view. For many compassionate individuals and organizations, houselessness is seen as a result of systemic issues, including a shortage of affordable housing, income inequality, and limited access to mental health services. They believe that houselessness is a symptom of a broader problem and advocate for a more comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes. However, there is also a segment of society that perceives houselessness with stigma and prejudice. They may hold the view that unhoused individuals are solely responsible for their predicament, often characterized as "lazy" or "unwilling to work." 

These negative perceptions can result in a lack of support for initiatives aimed at addressing houselessness, further exacerbating the issue. For example, Clackamas county rejected a plan to create a massive transitional housing shelter due to the stigma based perceptions of local county commissioners (Manning, 2023). State agencies play a critical role in this perception as well. Some have adopted policies that focus on punitive measures, such as criminalizing sleeping in public spaces, which contribute to the criminalization of homelessness (Olivet 2022). 

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What are we doing about the mental health crisis?

“Mental health conditions are increasing worldwide. Mainly because of demographic changes, there has been a 13% rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade (to 2017). Mental health conditions now cause 1 in 5 years lived with disability. Around 20% of the world’s children and adolescents have a mental health condition, with suicide the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. Approximately one in five people in post-conflict settings have a mental health condition” (WHO, n.d). In 1948, the WHO was created and in the same year the first International Congress on Mental Health took place in London. However, a clear and widely accepted definition of mental health as a discipline is still missing. Significantly, the Dorland’s Medical Dictionary does not carry an entry on mental health, whereas the Campbell’s Dictionary of Psychiatry gives it two meanings: first, as a synonym of mental hygiene and second, as a state of psychological well-being. The Oxford English Dictionary defines mental hygiene as a set of measures to preserve mental health, and later refers to mental health as a state. 

The National Alliance on Mental illness believes “Society often stigmatizes mental illness as weird, dangerous, and rare. In reality, mental health disorders are extremely common, treatable physical conditions. Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing and can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income. In fact, one in five American adults experiences some form of mental illness in any given year (NAMI, n.d.). Because of this stigma, people are not getting the help they need. Stigma, discrimination and human rights violations against people with mental health conditions are widespread in communities and care systems everywhere; 20 countries still criminalize attempted suicide. Across countries, it is the poorest and most disadvantaged in society who are at greatest risk of mental ill-health and who are also the least likely to receive adequate services.

Dévora Kestel, Director of WHO’s Mental Health and Substance Use Department called for change: “Every country has ample opportunity to make meaningful progress towards better mental health for its population. Whether developing stronger mental health policies and laws, covering mental health in insurance schemes, developing or strengthening community mental health services or integrating mental health into general health care, schools, and prisons, the many examples in this report show that the strategic changes can make a big difference” (WHO, 2022). Mental health organizations have pushed the Oregon Health Authority for years to tackle the problem. In 2022, Disability Rights Oregon, a Portland-based federally sanctioned watchdog organization, asked the agency and Comagine Health to address the issue after investigating multiple instances of people losing their behavioral health services while in residential care. Disability Rights Oregon said faulty assessments were not unusual. They were the norm. And they remain the norm, records show. 

The common element behind all of the crises is that the system is itself in crisis. Prosecutors and some politicians have argued that the difficulty of having people committed to psychiatric care has contributed to the state’s homelessness rates, perhaps the most visible sign of the mental health challenges facing Oregonians. But some of the top thinkers in the state’s behavioral health system say the problems start long before civil commitment might be necessary. Health care and supportive housing for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorders have not kept pace with Oregon’s growing population and have even been cut in some cases. At this point, the mental health system in Oregon does not provide mental health and addiction care at the same level it covers a problem with the heart, lungs or liver.

References

World Health Organization (n.d.). Mental Health. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1 

Green, E. (2023, June 8). Meth, fentanyl pose new problems for Oregon’s overwhelmed detox providers. World Health Organization. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://www.opb.org/article/2023/06/08/oregon-drug-decriminalization-measure-110-meth-fentanyl-detox-centers/ 

National Alliance on Mental Illness (n.d.). Diagnosing Mental Illness. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://namior.org/mental-illness-and-recovery/ 

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Mental Health Crisis In Portland, OR

In Portland, Oregon we are failing our unhoused neighbors every day and it’s something we can fix. There is nothing humane about living outside in the elements. It is easy to look at the numerous homeless tents and cardboard boxes stationed on sidewalks and in parks. It is easy to judge and make assumptions. In order to facilitate change we cannot choose what is easy. We must choose what is right. Portland makes it really easy to be homeless. There’s always somebody giving away free tents, sleeping bags, clothes, water, sandwiches, three meals a day — it’s all here. Oregon’s drug policy is defined by leniency. Police have neither the resources nor the backing of their superiors to arrest an individual for being on drugs in public or having drugs on their person. In practice, heroin and meth are legal. Communities have poured millions of tax dollars — billions, collectively — into supportive services. That spending has moved some people off the streets and helped many others survive, but it hasn’t disrupted the broader cycle of homelessness in any meaningful way. Resolving the homelessness crisis requires us to acknowledge the humanity of those afflicted. They are people, albeit badly broken. Part of recognizing their humanity is understanding that the homeless are not merely victims of circumstance. They need help taking the first steps toward reclaiming their lives. In this blog, we will dive into many articles and podcasts from people and agencies that are directly involved in the mental health outcome of Portland.

Back in 2022 Ted Wheeler stated "We must end self-directed, unsanctioned camping in the city of Portland. We deal with mental health issues. We deal with substance abuse issues. We deal with human feces. We deal with naked people running down the street, people who are unable to even acknowledge who or where they are, because their afflictions are that serious. It is beneath us as a moral and ethical society to have that happening in our community. And therefore we need to do something differently" (Fox News, 2022). For so long Portland’s only solutions have not been ones to address the problems we are facing as a community. Ted Wheeler’s solution was to cover up the things he did not want to see. Out of sight out of mind right? He was right about one thing, we do deal with mental health issues and substance abuse. However, those are things that require professional help. That is where funds should be allocated. It is time that we acknowledge how broken we are as a community. There are so many broken people and all we see them as is another thing to deal with. Mental health is a serious issue that we face in Portland, OR. "A mental health crisis is a situation where an individual’s emotions, thoughts and behaviors put them at risk of harming themselves or others. A crisis can also be defined as a person who is unable to care for themselves; access shelter, food or even clothing" (Lifeline Connections, 2020). It is time that we help people who are unable to help themselves.

References

Clinic, C. (2020, November 1). What is a Mental Health Crisis? Retrieved October 21, 2023, from https://lifelineconnections.org/what-is-a-mental-health-crisis/

Fox News (2022, December 1). Portland, OR, approves new $27 million homeless encampments. Retrieved October 21, 2023, from