A mental health crisis simmers in the U.S., but there is HOPE
It’s Mental Health Month. Here’s how we’re helping clients overcome the vicious cycle of homelessness and mental health struggles.
Poor mental health is a growing concern in the U.S., affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. In a recent survey of U.S. adults under 30, nearly half (47%) reported “feeling down, depressed or hopeless.” One in four older adults also experience behavioral health problems like depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.
An estimated 20–25% of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. suffer from severe mental illness. Sometimes, existing mental health disorders cause homelessness. But homelessness can also be to blame for mental health disorders — unsurprising, considering the trauma of living on the streets or in unstable housing.
Mental health problems can quickly follow after issues unrelated to individuals’ health, like the affordable housing crisis, force people into homelessness. HOPE Atlanta outreach workers, who engage people experiencing homelessness to offer services, are seeing a disturbing rise in this trend in our communities.
Jonathan’s Struggle
For Jonathan, whom we met living in a car encampment, it wasn’t mental health issues, but financial ones, that caused him to become homeless. After his truck driving license was suspended due to a misunderstanding, he lost his job. Soon after, he lost the apartment where he and his son lived.
“I started living in my car,” Jonathan said. “I couldn’t get my license back, so I started working dead-end jobs to get another place. I don’t have the best credit, so I just ended up homeless and living out of my car behind the truck stop.”
His mental health quickly deteriorated.
“When you’re homeless like that, it drags you down every day,” he recalled. “It got worse and worse. I had no self-esteem and no confidence, so I just let myself go. I really didn’t even want to be seen.”
Isolated from loved ones, the former family “patriarch” was in a downward spiral. Eventually, he ended up in jail. That’s when a concerned friend referred him to HOPE Atlanta.
Help Beyond a Bed
Jonathan connected with Kavin, a rapid re-housing case manager at HOPE Atlanta who specializes in working with people in encampments. Most of her clients have been homeless for several years, and the majority struggle with mental health and drug and alcohol use.
“The difference between a case manager and a really good case manager is someone who recognizes what their clients have going on in their personal lives,” Kavin explained.
Besides helping clients secure housing and cover rent and utilities while they get back on their feet, Kavin provides one-on-one support and connects clients with wraparound services — including mental health support — to set them up for success and self-sufficiency. Often, the trauma of homelessness impacts clients long after they’re housed.
“Their rooms are overcrowded from things they’ve collected on the streets because that’s what they did for years living outside,” she said. “We have clients staying in hotels that will push their beds together and create tents because that feels natural to them.”
Knowing that transitioning to housing can be overwhelming (and even stressful) after life on the streets, Kavin and her team always aim to meet clients where they are on any given day. Individualized plans help them work to get clients to a better place, one step at a time.
From Homelessness and Depression to HOPE
Kavin frequently visited Jonathan at the truck stop, providing help with food and gas while they worked to find a permanent housing solution. Today, he lives in an apartment in Eastport, a quiet space where he can focus on reclaiming his livelihood.
“Mentally, I’m getting better,” he said. “At first, when I moved in, I was like, ‘Great, I have this place. Now how am I going to keep it and not end up back in my car?’ It’s overwhelming, but I feel like I’m a part of society again. I can invite people over. I have a place to rest my head. I can shower, shave — all that stuff I couldn’t do before, so my confidence is coming around.”
Housing assistance from HOPE Atlanta has allowed him to start saving money. He is working toward getting his trucking license back, has begun reconnecting with family members, and is actively supporting others in similar situations.
“I take another HOPE client to the grocery store all the time,” he said. “He lives by himself, so I check on him. I give him uplifting advice. I stay in touch with him. I try to help when I can.”
“But, I will never go near that truck stop ever again,” he added. “It’s over.”
Once clients have the stability and privacy that comes with having a roof over their heads, they are more likely to make greater strides toward wellness; after all, they’re no longer in “fight or flight” mode. That’s why HOPE Atlanta advocates for a housing-first approach, whether behavioral health issues are at play or not.
“I believe everyone deserves a safe, clean, dry place to live,” said Kavin. “It doesn’t matter if they have mental health issues or drug problems. It doesn’t matter.”
Not everyone is ready to receive help overcoming mental illness and homelessness. But when they are, HOPE Atlanta’s team is ready to help them get to a better place, one step at a time.
You can help neighbors like Jonathan.
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