An alternative is desperately needed
The old Riverview Asylum nr. Vancouver
Of all the afflictions that can be visited on a human being, severe mental illness has to be the harshest. Make me deaf, poke my eyes out, relegate me to a wheelchair but please don’t let me lose my sanity.
I write these words because, as I’ve mentioned on my blog, I have been commissioned to pull together over the next few weeks my community’s report on homelessness in the area. In that I am grateful to the dogged work carried out by the volunteers on the various committees who are feeding me the info, stats etc. in order that I might put it all into words that the wretched powers-that-be might understand and might even develop some political will to do something for our most disenfranchised.
Beginning 20-odd years ago some benighted, though maybe well-intentioned politicians here (and in many other jurisdictions) decided that asylums were an affront and that people should not have their human rights to freedom of movement curtailed just because they were ill. Splendid. So, they came up with schemes to shutdown institutions and to let the people ‘out’. Guided by visions of snake-pits, lobotomies and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, they decided that the old concept of relegation to Bedlam was just wrong. Consequently, Riverview Hospital (second only to Belleview in New York in capacity) was largely emptied out, except for those deemed criminally insane.
Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t.
So, as they say, they let the mentally ill ‘out’. And, they replaced the facilities with – nothing! For all intents and purposes, diddly-squat. And, the relegated the mentally ill to disgusting, filthy and violent fleabags or, as is now more common, the streets! We know they did.
We see these lost, shuffling, often hugely addicted souls pushing shopping carts, begging, screaming invective to the skies or to a God who doesn’t seem to be listening to their utterances; pissing in doorways, scoring drugs, and hating the hideousness of their so-called lives. Yet and we seemed to be satisfied that we had given them their ‘freedom.’
And now there is no one to see if they are taking meds, no one to see if they are safe, no one to see if they have any place at all to live other than putting up at a shelter for maybe a few nights. Small wonder they use street drugs and booze and hope they can raise enough hell to be thrown in jail overnight where at least they'll be dry and warm.
Just last week the Vancouver Police Department released a scathing treatise on how the cops have been left, thanks to the failure of the Mental Health nabobs in this province, to pick up the pieces and to, in effect, act as mental health social workers for a client base that has been ignored by officialdom.
Recently, and blessedly, the cry has gone out to bring back facilities. The perceptive and talented Jody Paterson has brought up the matter in her powerful series on homelessness in Victoria (you can find it on her blog A Closer Look), and fellow blogger Tai has also written a thoroughly worthy piece on the matter in her latest blog. I applaud the drive in this direction and I give no government leave to assume that the fuss will die down. It cannot do so. The people who take our tax bucks are on notice, in my esteem.
So, now I must get back to the reality of pulling this big story together, and I must ponder the reality of the 250 or so lost souls out on the streets (80% of whom are mentally ill, drug addicted, or mentally ill and addicted) and voice gratitude for both my comfort and relative stability that has permitted me to function down my days.
I don’t necessarily feel guilty, but I do feel blessed, and also feel that I have to continue to do my part to make life just a little more tolerable for the forgotten. Just like a lot of other good folks are doing. Too bad so few politicians are among those numbers.
Labels: Mental illness and homelessness
posted by Ian Lidster at
9:45 AM
14 Comments:
The same has happened in Quebec. The homeless situation in Montreal is horrific.
I have nothing to add. Your post was great. I would have no problem if my tax dollars were being spent to help these people...
Homelessness is a phenomenon that so many urban areas face, including mine. In fact, the homeless seek shelter right outside my office building.
As for the mentally ill, it is a sin how we kick humankind to the curb. I agree with you that we desperately need an alternative.
It would be good if you would update us once you have completed your project.
It is a scandal. Is it better to be institutionalized or on the street? I never understood that policy.
The good thing is that they did not sell Riverview to a developer, especially since it has one of the finest collection of trees in BC in the arboretum on its grounds.
I am hoping that our government will at some point reinstate the institutions. They are dearly needed.
I would hate to see the large institutions of old reappear. But something positive and viable does need to be done. Mental health issues are on the increase and could happen to any of us.
De-institutionalization, which happened here also, was a crime. Certainly, the institutions needed serious over-hauling, but you can't just leave severely mentally ill pepole to fend for themselves. It's inhumane. And so many people don't even understand that is what they are seeing when they pass by the homeless on the streets.
Oh, and I came over here to let you know I did that 2-answer meme.
This was such a poignant post, Ian. This will be a challenging subject, but one that I know you will artfully create with great care and respect. I'd love to read it when it is published. Please let us know the logistics.
Yes, I'd like to see your final project as well.
Obviously, we are alike in mind on this.
Citizen of the World pointed out that many people just walk by not understanding the stituation, calling out "Get a job" when that is so impossible for so many.
You know, we did this in the US in the 70s. Unintended consequences of some policies started in California.
Great post.
The government did the EXACT same thing here a couple of years ago ... with the same results ... and still they do nothing about it. The mentally ill are not high priority, it seems.
There but for the grace of God go each and every one of us.
There is that loud and visible segment of the homeless population. But there is also a whole world of homeless people whom the rest of us never see, because they are very good at keeping out of sight or not fitting the stereotypical picture of such a person.
On two ocassions as a journalist,writing stories on this subject, I have had this fact clearly pointed out to me.
The problem is huge. And inexcusable, in our lands of plenty.
I work in education. Circumstances (including an employer reorganization) forced my daughter and me into homelessness two years ago. We will finally move into a permanent home again on March 1.
Most of my colleagues have no idea what my daughter and I have been through. It's very sobering, but we have never given up. My daughter was in high school when this happened. She is now a freshman in college. She also works.
Even though we've been nomads for the past two years, I feel blessed that I have a job. We went through a period when we had no income whatsoever. I don't miss opportunities to make small donations to food pantries and the Salvation Army. As I see it, even though we have had to live in some precarious situations, we never had to sleep in a tunnel.
The plight of homelessness is, indeed, scandalous.
Thank you all for a lot of terrific comments. I must mention, however, that when I am at home (like a number of you), I also go barefoot all the time, and in the summer I always wear sandals (and not with socks, yuck!)
Finally, I too obsessively collect newspaper clippings, old magazines, and books -- books galore.
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