Thank you for participating in our February 4th discussion on Housing & Homelessness: Ending Street Suffering. The response was overwhelming and excitement is growing!
Interest is pouring in from people all across America who are hearing about Hope Street Coalition, a new initiative addressing the intersection of homelessness, mental illness, and addiction. Hope Street seeks to help people deteriorating in plain sight through advocacy, and raising awareness of suffering on the streets.
Healing Minds NOLA is honored to have been chosen to host the launch of Hope Street Coalition with guests Paul Webster, former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Advisor, Dr. Drew, physician & popular media figure and, Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, First Assistant Secretary under HHS for Mental Health & Substance Use and the director of the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Hope Street Coalition will partner with anyone and any organization ready to change the status quo. Together, through advocacy, the Coalition will put an end to the shameful abandonment of people living with chronic untreated serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders to our streets, prisons, jails and morgues. Goals include:
- Reduce the amount of unsheltered homelessness,
- Increase the amount of treatment beds and units,
- Remove obstacles to treatment,
- Encourage the participation of families and loved ones, and
- Stop treating those with illnesses as criminals.
Hope Street will work to immediately address the antiquated discriminatory and harmful rule – known as the “IMD Exclusion” – that has fueled the decades long decline of long-term psychiatric bed capacity. By uniting our voices, we can remove this policy barrier that has led to so much suffering.
A plan must be put in place to help people with serious mental illness. There is no where for family members to turn.
We are in a desperate situation with our adult son who has Schizophrenia and drug issues. There is no real help or intervention until it’s too late. We’ve lived this nightmare for 14 years and he is so much worse then we ever expected.
The label Behavioral Health suggests people can “behave”..its not possible with a broken brain.
Please direct me to where to sign!
Hi Kartar,
If you click on http://www.hopestreetcoalition.org, there is a form to sign up!
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