OPINION: I have experience with alcoholism in my family and I sold psychotropic medication for five years to psychiatrists for bipolar, OCD, Depression, and ADHD. I have been a Board Member of NAMI-Eastside.
It is evident alcohol use will never be totally eradicated from Tent City even with the "zero tolerance" Code of Conduct policy. Under the Share/Wheel nonprofit policy, residents are "disbarred" by their own members (escorted out of camp by their peers to a bus stop) when caught drinking in camp.
TC4 evictions for alcohol and disorderly conduct are enacted by tent city residents, staff, and parishioners; that's the **policy. During eviction, the police department is rarely, if ever, called to assess the evictee for health & safety needs, counseling, escort, or even incarceration. I strongly encourage and recommend a policy where the police be called during evictions so professional , objective assessment can be taken. Yes, police intervention may cost taxpayers more money short term, but it is safer for citizens, more humane for the afflicted and probably more cost effective long term.
About 23% of tent city homeless (NAMI) are afflicted with a serious mental illness and likely need medical attention, medication adjustments, and social support. NAMI-Eastside and the Hero House members (for social/vocational rehabilitation) should have greater awareness and presence in Camp.
Safety & health assessments during evictions, ideally, should not be the responsibility of Tent City resident peers. Peer support should be primarily dedicated to spiritual, caring, and informational needs. Phone communications are an option for follow-up by a resident or neighbor who cares. Upon entering TC ("the Hilton) and departing, some Tent City evictees need to "bottom out" from alcohol and they often need medical attention and psycho-pharmaceuticals. **Alcohol and other drugs are commonly used to "self-medicate depression, mania, and other mental illnesses.
My brother died from the isolation of co-occurring mood disorder & alcoholism. He was isolated in an apartment, unemployed, miserable from brain damage associated with medication dis-continuance. He could no longer cope. One day he stopped his medication and died. Had Rick not been isolated he might still be living. Thus, my recommendation for the humanity, kinship, and social support of a Hero House and a Tent City.
One final thought before listing support services. Why couldn't Alcoholic Anonymous conduct meetings at TC4 encampments? (Update: 7/1/12: They started AA meetings in 2011 - including road signage on 166th). Progress in attending to TC resident mental health-care needs probably will not occur until Share/Wheel and host facilities take mental illness and substance abuse out of their closet. ShareWheel's FEAR that permits will be denied when admitting a high presence of mentally ill is unfounded.
Precedent has been set over and over for TC permit approvals. Community tent cities are here to stay - with or without community awareness of the high incidence of mental illness.
ShareWheel and host facilities should no longer feel a need to "shelter" the mentally ill from neighborhoods and their chance for better health.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***SHARE/WHEEL - Operator and Manager of Tent Cities of Puget Sound
Call 206-448-7889 [ask for AA, Hero House, and peer support]
Website: http://anitraweb.org/homelessness/faqs/tentcities.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERO HOUSE - psychiatric and vocational rehabilitation and support. 9-5PM. computers for job hunting and training. subsidized lunch. van pick-up. must apply with proof of diagnosis. confidentiality secured. CALL: 425-614-1282. 14230 NE 21st Street, Bellevue, WA. 98007. http://herohouse.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.A. - Bellevue - 1299 - 156th Ave. NE. #160. CALL: 425-454-9192. http://alcoholics-anonymous.org/
It is evident alcohol use will never be totally eradicated from Tent City even with the "zero tolerance" Code of Conduct policy. Under the Share/Wheel nonprofit policy, residents are "disbarred" by their own members (escorted out of camp by their peers to a bus stop) when caught drinking in camp.
TC4 evictions for alcohol and disorderly conduct are enacted by tent city residents, staff, and parishioners; that's the **policy. During eviction, the police department is rarely, if ever, called to assess the evictee for health & safety needs, counseling, escort, or even incarceration. I strongly encourage and recommend a policy where the police be called during evictions so professional , objective assessment can be taken. Yes, police intervention may cost taxpayers more money short term, but it is safer for citizens, more humane for the afflicted and probably more cost effective long term.
About 23% of tent city homeless (NAMI) are afflicted with a serious mental illness and likely need medical attention, medication adjustments, and social support. NAMI-Eastside and the Hero House members (for social/vocational rehabilitation) should have greater awareness and presence in Camp.
Safety & health assessments during evictions, ideally, should not be the responsibility of Tent City resident peers. Peer support should be primarily dedicated to spiritual, caring, and informational needs. Phone communications are an option for follow-up by a resident or neighbor who cares. Upon entering TC ("the Hilton) and departing, some Tent City evictees need to "bottom out" from alcohol and they often need medical attention and psycho-pharmaceuticals. **Alcohol and other drugs are commonly used to "self-medicate depression, mania, and other mental illnesses.
My brother died from the isolation of co-occurring mood disorder & alcoholism. He was isolated in an apartment, unemployed, miserable from brain damage associated with medication dis-continuance. He could no longer cope. One day he stopped his medication and died. Had Rick not been isolated he might still be living. Thus, my recommendation for the humanity, kinship, and social support of a Hero House and a Tent City.
One final thought before listing support services. Why couldn't Alcoholic Anonymous conduct meetings at TC4 encampments? (Update: 7/1/12: They started AA meetings in 2011 - including road signage on 166th). Progress in attending to TC resident mental health-care needs probably will not occur until Share/Wheel and host facilities take mental illness and substance abuse out of their closet. ShareWheel's FEAR that permits will be denied when admitting a high presence of mentally ill is unfounded.
Precedent has been set over and over for TC permit approvals. Community tent cities are here to stay - with or without community awareness of the high incidence of mental illness.
ShareWheel and host facilities should no longer feel a need to "shelter" the mentally ill from neighborhoods and their chance for better health.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
***SHARE/WHEEL - Operator and Manager of Tent Cities of Puget Sound
Call 206-448-7889 [ask for AA, Hero House, and peer support]
Website: http://anitraweb.org/homelessness/faqs/tentcities.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERO HOUSE - psychiatric and vocational rehabilitation and support. 9-5PM. computers for job hunting and training. subsidized lunch. van pick-up. must apply with proof of diagnosis. confidentiality secured. CALL: 425-614-1282. 14230 NE 21st Street, Bellevue, WA. 98007. http://herohouse.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.A. - Bellevue - 1299 - 156th Ave. NE. #160. CALL: 425-454-9192. http://alcoholics-anonymous.org/
DATED: 10-15-08
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Yoder,
I followed your coverage when Tent City 4 was located at St. Jude's. I have been involved in this issue for awhile now as Tent City 4 has been located at my neighborhood church, St. John Vianney, twice and will be returning for a third stay on November 1st.
A Mercer Island neighborhood group recently compiled three binders of police/incident reports pertaining to Tent City 4 while it was at various locations. One of the binders was for the St. Jude's stay. There were over 20+ reports in that binder alone, including on 48 page police report pertaining to the burglary that occurred at the hands of a Tent City 4 resident who had been evicted days prior and was making his home in a wooded area near Redmond Jr. High. I would be happy to provide you with copies if you would like.
Those binders were submitted to the Redmond Planning Commission back in September. The Redmond Planning Commission has been holding discussions for several months on proposed changes to their city code regarding temporary encampments. On October 15th the planning commission passed recommendations which will now be forwarded to the Redmond City Council. Between now and then, citizens have an opportunity to write to the Council regarding these changes (which I have included in this email.) They call also be found, along with other information relating to this on the Planning Commission website.
This is an important issue that not only affects the citizens of Redmond, but had potential implications for other cities with respect to the warrant/sex offender checks.
Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Michele Yousef
'
Subject: Recommended changes for Redmond City Council/Planning Commission
Hello,
On Friday, I received a phone call from Steven Fisher, Planning Director for Redmond. As you recall, I sent you all a link to the proposed changes Redmond made for October 15th. At that time, my concern was the fact that they had changed the i.d. requirements. Mr. Fisher informed me that those do indeed now fall under the direction of SHARE/WHEEL. When I asked him to define "reasonable i.d." he said that would be left up to the discretion of the agency, in this case SHARE.
What was more troublesome was the fact that he informed me that warrant/sex offender checks were no longer a requirement as part of the permit. He said that this was done after meeting with SHARE representatives who informed him that they would now be taking "legal action" against any city requiring that they do the checks as this was a violation of their constitutional rights. I explained to him the danger in doing this, in light of the three binders of over 78+ police reports that were submitted to him. I explained that there had been a male sex offender that had been turned away (albeit loose into the neighborhood) as a result of those sex offender checks being done. Mr Fisher went on using the SHARE argument that individuals renting a home/apartment are not required to undergo such checks. The discussion went downhill after that.
I am passionate about this issue. We can not loose the sex offender/warrant checks being done. Tent City 3 does not do warrant/sex offender checks and it appears that Tent City 4 is headed in the same direction.
This has now been voted out of the Redmond Planning Commission and will be before the Redmond City Council possibly as early as November 3rd. I ask that you please take a moment to email the Redmond City Council and consider attending their meeting in which this issue will be heard.
I have included a list of suggested changes that should be added to the code. I have taken these directly from other city codes/requirements pertaining to temporary encampments.
Please consider emailing the Redmond City Council, as this issue of removing warrant/sex offender checks will affect all of us that are now part of a permanent rotation for Tent City 4. While we have no voice in bringing this to our neighborhood, we should at least have the assurance that these checks are being done.
I also ask that you please encourage others that care about this issue to write in as well.
Thank you,
Michele