Mental health is human. It’s time to reverse the stigmas around homelessness, mental illness, and seeking care.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The need for increased awareness and access to care remains particularly acute in Georgia, where COVID ushered in a “perfect storm” of challenges as the need increased across the state and countless providers left their positions. According to Mental Health America’s 2023 report, Georgia currently ranks 49th in access to care.

Unsheltered and housing-insecure people often develop mental health conditions, and given the stress of living in survival mode, it’s not hard to imagine why. Mental health struggles from a loss or traumatic event can also cause homelessness, especially when one lacks the support to navigate extreme difficulties.

But while the connection between homelessness and mental illness is clear — 45% of Hope Atlanta’s clients in FY23 had a mental health disorder — their conditions don’t define them, nor are they unique to the homeless population.

“There’s a universal human experience that is physical health and mental health,” says Dr. Ife Anugom, one of the lead behavioral health clinicians at The Melody, an innovative new rapid housing community in Atlanta.

“Some people’s conditions are chronic, and some are acute. Some are the onset of an experience, like a death. Not having the resilience to handle it can do different things to different people.”

Individualized Care Meets Community Support

While gaps in mental health care access are widespread, treatment can prove even more challenging for those experiencing or transitioning from homelessness, as they often lack transportation or technology. Hope Atlanta is removing these barriers for clients, including those at The Melody, by providing onsite behavioral health services.

After being placed in safe, permanent housing — a critical first step toward stability and self-care — residents at The Melody receive mental health care and other wraparound services that promote resilience and self-sufficiency.

Like in any other practice, Dr. Anugom and the rest of Hope’s behavioral health care team work to assess each client’s symptoms and circumstances to help create a treatment plan. But at The Melody, that treatment plan is a broader team effort.

“Intensive care coordinators are there to navigate and advocate through really complicated systems, like the SNAP process, social security, or changing your mailing address,” Dr. Anugom explains. “Sometimes, it’s just knowing that someone cares about you.”

Dr. Anugom and the other clinicians hold weekly 1–1 sessions with clients, but their support doesn’t end there. They consider themselves part of the residents’ newfound community and support system.

“Being isolated can add and exacerbate a mental health condition,” she said. “Many of our clients in assessment reported that they do not have strong support systems. They can’t identify 2 or 3 people in their life that they can rely on. We establish a sense of security — knowing you have people there for you, and it’s built-in.”

Fostering a supportive, empathetic community helps clients overcome a significant barrier to seeking help and committing to treatment: stigmatization.

“No one wants to feel like they don’t belong,” says Dr. Anugom. “The less you talk about it, the more you feel alone. The beauty of having these resources onsite, doing some of the psychoeducation, is that you get to connect with other people who have the same mental health issues or traumas.”

Breaking Stigmas and Reframing the Narrative

While The Melody’s residents are only a tiny sample of the neighbors facing homelessness and mental health disorders in our community, The Melody can be seen as a microcosm that illustrates broader challenges. Dr. Anugum emphasizes that homelessness is not a societal illness but a symptom.

“Tragedy happens,” she explains. “We are all a tragedy away from not being able to have a grip on life. The illness of our systems is that we’re unable to support people who have things happen in their lives.”

She also wants people to remember that while many of her clients are aging or have physical impairments, these conditions eventually impact all of us.

At Hope Atlanta, we are committed to healing the societal wounds and traumas caused by homelessness by empowering individuals and remembering our shared humanity and responsibility to foster healthier communities. We hope you’ll join us.