What works?

There are all kinds of solutions being offered out there to "solve the problem" of mental illness, particularly as it relates to homelessness. But are these people who need to be "solved" or can we look at things differently?

First, I'm of the opinion that society is the biggest loser when it comes to people with mental illness who are homeless, and not only because of the social costs involved in providing services (the "Million Dollar Murray" thing). These are people, after all...people with gifts and abilities that are generally being ignored in favor of the people as problem perspective.

Second, forcing people (and this goes for everyone) to do things seldom results in a transformation. You know, people are stubborn...if it's not our idea, we're usually not interested. (We can blame this one on the American ideal that we occasionally like to refer to, at least when it works for us. "Self-made" is good if it means our own personal autonomy...but we're not so sure we like the idea when it comes to people with a mental illness). This means that, though we may be uncomfortable with the idea (or uncomfortable with SEEING them) some people really do choose to be on the streets. Overall, society needs to find a better balance between personal autonomy and public good.

In the end the best source of ideas and energy for healing and wholeness is the people themselves. The extraordinary gifts and abilities of people, ALL people, are the fountainhead of new life and a source of hope for us all.