[Leica] Mentally ill and homeless

[kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour)]

On Apr 8, 2009, at 7:29 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:

>
> On Apr 8, 2009, at 3:52 AM, Gene wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure why you consider the US opinion of the homeless as  
>> being ignorant. ?It is certainly the last thing I think of and the  
>> same goes for most people I know. ? I also do not see it as a  
>> mental health issue, but more of a economic issue.
>
> I'd like to support Chris on this matter, as least as regards many  
> of New York's homeless. Fifty years ago most of New York's obviously  
> mentally ill were institutionalized for treatment at considerable  
> expense to the state. With the concurrent advent of psychologically  
> theraputic drugs  (tranqulizers, anti depressants, anti psychotics)  
> and New York City's financial crisis (You remember the headlines.  
> "President Ford to NY 'Drop Dead' ") the city closed most of the  
> institutions, opting to treat the ambulatory mentally ill on an  
> outpatient basis. It was assumed that visits to neighborhood clinics  
> plus drug therapy would suffice. But the the patients were mentally  
> ill. They often forgot to visit the clinics and take their  
> medications. Within a year or two most were on the streets, unable  
> to find work, living on doorsteps, sleeping over warm air subway  
> grates. Admittedly there are many people homeless because of  
> economic conditions but a substantial number of the homeless in New  
> York are there because of decisions made in the mental health system  
> a generation ago.

absolutely true, the term that was used optimistically back then for  
de-institutionalizing all of these unfortnate people ...


was mainstreaming,


Steve





> Safety nets and homeless shelters have been put in place but still  
> many people chose to live out their life on the streets.

> Larry Z
>
>
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