Homelessness and Mental

Illness

Emily Gabriel, Lauren McGinty,

Monica Schottinger

HomelessnessHomelessness occurs when individuals or households are unable to acquire and/or maintain

housing they can afford.

Chronic Homelessness is defined as long-term or repeated homelessness, often coupled with

a disability.

January 2015- 564,708 people were homeless on

a given night:

358,422 were individuals

206,286 were people in families

15% (83,170) are considered chronically

homeless individuals

2% (13,105) are considered chronically

http://www.endhomelessness.org/pages/snapshot_of_homelessness

Homeless Youth

Individuals under the age of 18 who lack institutional, parental, or foster

care are deemed homeless youth (National Coalition for the Homeless 2008)

More likely to leave home if they endure abuse, neglect, and/or strained

relationships with family.

5 to 7 percent of American youths become homeless in a given year (National

Alliance to End Homelessness 2007)

Homelessness can be due to

Family issues

Economic problems

Homeless adolescents often have trouble

getting in shelters due to lack of beds

and strict admission policies.

No address = No job

Often times the youth participate in

“survival sex”, which is the exchange

of sex for resources such as food and

shelter.

The rate of HIV among homeless you can

be as much as 2 to 10 higher than

non-homeless adolescents.

More likely to suffer mental health issues

in addition to poor nutrition.

Homeless Veterans

Approximately 47,725 veterans are homeless (U.S Department of Housing and Urban

Development, 2011)

11% of the homeless adult populations are veterans

50% have serious mental illness

A large portion of homeless veterans suffer PTSD

70% have substance abuse problems

Homelessness is often due to

PovertyNational Coalition for Homeless Veterans

Mental Illness

In the U.S

1 in 5 adults will experience mental illness in a given year (NIMH

2015).

1 in 25 adults will experience a serious mental illness that will

substantially interfere with or limit one or more major life

activities (NIMH 2015).

Only 41% of adults with a mental health condition will receive

some form of treatment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration 2015).

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2010

African Americans and

Hispanic Americans used

mental health services at

about half the rate as their

Caucasian counterparts

Asian Americans used these

services at about one-third

the rate

Mental Illness

People with serious mental illnesses are at an

increased risk of developing chronic medical

conditions (Colton and Manderscheid 2006)

Adults living with serious mental illnesses die, on

average, 25 years earlier than other Americans (Parks et al., 2006)

These deaths are often due to treatable medical

conditions.

Mental Illness

Homelessness and Mental Illness

Persistent Homelessness and Mental

illness often go hand in hand.

An estimated 26% of homeless adults

staying in shelters live with mental

illness

An estimated 46% live with severe

mental illness and/or substance use

disorders.

These individuals lack access to health

care services.

Homelessness = Bad

Homelessness + Mental Illness = Worse

Individuals who are both homeless and suffer from mental

illness are very limited-

Have hard time accessing/applying for government aid

Have hard time accessing healthcare and maintaining health routines

Have hard time accessing care or treatment for their mental illness

Have limited employment opportunities

Homelessness and Mental Illness

Continued

Individuals can end up in an endless cycle of

homelessness and incarceration.

Homeless individuals who are not receiving care

are more likely to be incarcerated due to crimes

they commit as a result of their conditions.

This lowers their employability potential.

Homelessness and Mental Illness

Continued

How is this a social justice/human rights issue?

Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human

rights.

A homeless individual may face violations of the right to

An adequate standard of living

Education

Liberty and security of the person

Privacy

Social Security

Freedom from discrimination

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/homelessness-human-rights-issue

It’s intersectional

Homelessness

Mental Illness

Race

Women

LGBTQ+

Incarcerated

How is this a social justice/human rights issue?

What Can We Do?

Art to Start

Creating Conversation

through Art

Art to Start

Similar to the trend “Wine & Design”

Individuals can connect with the homeless population

through art.

The purpose is to open a line of communication

and find out what homeless individuals and

their community truly needs.

How Art to Start Helps

Gives a voice to an almost voiceless community

Social Interaction

Art Therapy

Works to give people what they actually need.

Art Therapy

Art Therapy can help the mentally

ill by allowing individuals to

connect with their inner selves

transcend, psychologically, to a

safe place

gain a sense of achievement

Have freedom and be creative

Art Therapy can also decrease

stress, anxiety, and worry.

Target Demographic

Cities like

Newark

Jersey City

Lakewood

Camden

Homeless

Impoverished

Supplies

Canvas Boards

Paint Supplies

Paint Brushes

Buckets

Tablecloths

Paper Plates

Gallons of Water

Volunteer Group

5 Volunteers to work

with the participants.

Volunteers can be

students, faculty,

staff, etc.

Questions to Ask

What are some of your daily struggles/challenges?

What do you think are some misconceptions about being homeless?

What resources would you need in order to get off of the streets?

What do you think is a leading cause of homelessness?

What does the word "home" mean to you?

Project Timeline

Activity #1 (Collection Process)

Set up donation drop offs

Boxes for art supplies donations

Locations across campus buildings

Advertise for volunteers

Flyers across campus

Advertisement on campus web pages

Activity #2 (Assessment Process)

Assess amount of donation

Gather donation drop offs and assess donations

2 Weeks Prior

have at least 5 volunteers

Purchase excess supplies

1 Week Prior

Volunteer Training

Inform Volunteers on full project/purpose

Train volunteers on

Financial Breakdown/BudgetSupply Amount Approximate Cost

Canvas (16x20, 5 per pack) 20 $79.96

Paint 23 Bottles $80.09

Brushes ~18 $16.97

Tablecloth 2 $2.00

Bucket 2 $2.00

Paper Plates 40 $5.19

Water 2 Gallons $1.78

Overall Total- $190.00

Results

Overall, the project was

successful.

We got to know a few

of the individuals

who participated.

Everyone had fun!

Meet Ashley!

Image Sources

http://bbdnrsocial.blogspot.com/2013/04/homelessness-in-media.html

http://www.homelesshouston.org/homelessness-101/

http://www.endhomelessness.org/blog/entry/senate-committee-takes-action-to-end-youth-

homelessness#.VyNXSPkrKM8

http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/subject/The-Veteran-Comics-and-Cartoons-by-

Nick+Anderson's+Editorial+Cartoons.php

http://coloradohealthinstitute.org/insights/insight/focusing-on-minorities-and-mental-health

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt345/LoVeLySwEeTyMe/Art-Supplies.png

http://files.cluster2.hgsitebuilder.com/hostgator12108/image/ghandivolunteerquote.png

http://monarchhousing.org/nj-counts-2015-executive-summary/