DAILY NEWS VETERANS AFFAIRS - HOMELESS 2015 By Mike Reicher, Los Angeles Daily
Excerpt:
"Speaking with the Los Angeles News Group editorial board, Garcetti said Thursday the effort might take an additional six months, and that not all homeless veterans will actually be housed.
His recalibration underscores the enormity of the problem in Los Angeles and the challenges facing homeless service providers. L.A. organizations have housed more than 3,700 homeless veterans since January 2014, according to a recent city tally, but have more than 2,600 remaining. A growing population, obstacles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and inaction at City Hall have worsened the situation, some say.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Saturday, August 29, 2015
STRESS INTIMIDATION and HOMELESS PEOPLE - by THE HOMELESS GUY - TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!
THE HOMELESS GUY BLOG - Stress Intimidation and Homeless People from 2013 - a great post!
The Homeless Guy
Sadly, in today's world, few people know and understand the true nature of homelessness, even those people who are put in charge of homeless service facilities. Even those with educational backgrounds in sociology and psychology don't have a clue about homelessness. There is no "school of homelessness" anywhere in the world. At best, someone may have taken one or two classes on the subject, as an elective. These people who are put in charge of homeless facilities, more often than not, jump to inaccurate conclusions about the nature of homelessness and homeless people, and the policies and directives they develop for homeless services often do more harm than good.
The biggest and most obvious problem is that city leaders put the burden of caring for homeless people on government. Homelessness is actually a health issue, mainly a mental health issue, but it includes all other aspects of health as well. Homelessness is a health issue because homelessness affects the wellbeing of people. Just whom would you rather decide what's best for your health? A doctor or a politician?
...
Homeless people are already living with a great deal of stress just from being homeless. And often times the decisions made by homeless facility administrators only adds to that stress - that stress becomes problematic for everyone. Especially for the mentally ill, the stress level often becomes too much and they crack under the pressure, resulting in a psychotic episode. For others the stress makes they extremely defensive. Then when a homeless person feels threatened, he/she becomes combative. Verbal and physical fights often result. Being that many homeless service providers have zero tolerance policies for any kind of misbehavior, including fighting and even arguing, it is the shelter itself, and it's administrators, that are guilty of creating the scenarios that lead to people being banned from their shelters.
City officials are more likely to misunderstand the difficulties of dealing with homeless people, being that they've never actually dealt with homeless people themselves and are more interested in appeasing their constituency than in doing what's right for the homeless. Yet they are often the ones to decide homeless services policies and procedures. Homeless shelters attract a wide variety of people looking for help, and many are dealing with very complex issues that require specialized handling. For this, the employees of homeless service providers really need to be trained on dealing with this great variety of people. Besides case manager work, homeless service provider facilities have many other services to offer, but facilities usually hire the wrong people to handle those positions. What often happens is that the facility administration hires a bunch of club bouncer types. Or the get recently homeless people. Or they hire people coming right out of jail or prison. This may be a good service to recent ex-cons, but it's harmful to the homeless they are supposed to be helping.
Bouncer types, the recently released from prison types, etc, all have one thing in common, they all come from environments where intimidation is the rule, intimidation is how things get done, they use intimidation preemptively, hoping to prevent a bad situation, they assume that every situation ha the potential to go bad. The thing is, when you just assume that every person is a potential problem, you end up creating a very stressful, and hostile environment. Everyone running the different services starts off expecting to have trouble out of everyone. Sure, facility employees may occasionally run into a difficult person, but the majority of homeless people will never cause problems. Still, being treated that way has a negative affect, and will certainly worsen the condition that homeless people find themselves in. Treating everyone as if they are a potential problem will only cause problems, and will increase the stress on everyone, and will actually be the cause of the problem they were hoping to avoid.
Even worse is when these people who have no real training on how to deal with homeless people become over confident in their positions - often there is no real accountability for them to answer to - they develop into a clique, often they assume they have full run of he facility, they become more of a goon squad than security and other personnel. They do favors for those of the homeless they are friends with and will be less than courteous to those they don't know or don't personally like.
All of this creates a great deal of animosity between homeless people and homeless services workers, a problem that exists just below the surface, and will explode into anti social behavior when triggered.
The Homeless Guy
"There is more to homeless people than being homeless."
Quote:
People
Being homeless is very stressful, for many people it's the most stressful experience in their lives. Those people who assume that life as a homeless person is a life of leisure are simply wrong. There is no upside to being homeless. For those who think that being homeless means being able to avoid responsibilities, I suggest they give it a try for themselves. It's those responsibilities that give you the comfort of not being homeless. Try living without the comfort of a roof over your head and see if you really find any joy, or leisure, in that.
...
...
Sadly, in today's world, few people know and understand the true nature of homelessness, even those people who are put in charge of homeless service facilities. Even those with educational backgrounds in sociology and psychology don't have a clue about homelessness. There is no "school of homelessness" anywhere in the world. At best, someone may have taken one or two classes on the subject, as an elective. These people who are put in charge of homeless facilities, more often than not, jump to inaccurate conclusions about the nature of homelessness and homeless people, and the policies and directives they develop for homeless services often do more harm than good.
The biggest and most obvious problem is that city leaders put the burden of caring for homeless people on government. Homelessness is actually a health issue, mainly a mental health issue, but it includes all other aspects of health as well. Homelessness is a health issue because homelessness affects the wellbeing of people. Just whom would you rather decide what's best for your health? A doctor or a politician?
...
Homeless people are already living with a great deal of stress just from being homeless. And often times the decisions made by homeless facility administrators only adds to that stress - that stress becomes problematic for everyone. Especially for the mentally ill, the stress level often becomes too much and they crack under the pressure, resulting in a psychotic episode. For others the stress makes they extremely defensive. Then when a homeless person feels threatened, he/she becomes combative. Verbal and physical fights often result. Being that many homeless service providers have zero tolerance policies for any kind of misbehavior, including fighting and even arguing, it is the shelter itself, and it's administrators, that are guilty of creating the scenarios that lead to people being banned from their shelters.
City officials are more likely to misunderstand the difficulties of dealing with homeless people, being that they've never actually dealt with homeless people themselves and are more interested in appeasing their constituency than in doing what's right for the homeless. Yet they are often the ones to decide homeless services policies and procedures. Homeless shelters attract a wide variety of people looking for help, and many are dealing with very complex issues that require specialized handling. For this, the employees of homeless service providers really need to be trained on dealing with this great variety of people. Besides case manager work, homeless service provider facilities have many other services to offer, but facilities usually hire the wrong people to handle those positions. What often happens is that the facility administration hires a bunch of club bouncer types. Or the get recently homeless people. Or they hire people coming right out of jail or prison. This may be a good service to recent ex-cons, but it's harmful to the homeless they are supposed to be helping.
Bouncer types, the recently released from prison types, etc, all have one thing in common, they all come from environments where intimidation is the rule, intimidation is how things get done, they use intimidation preemptively, hoping to prevent a bad situation, they assume that every situation ha the potential to go bad. The thing is, when you just assume that every person is a potential problem, you end up creating a very stressful, and hostile environment. Everyone running the different services starts off expecting to have trouble out of everyone. Sure, facility employees may occasionally run into a difficult person, but the majority of homeless people will never cause problems. Still, being treated that way has a negative affect, and will certainly worsen the condition that homeless people find themselves in. Treating everyone as if they are a potential problem will only cause problems, and will increase the stress on everyone, and will actually be the cause of the problem they were hoping to avoid.
Even worse is when these people who have no real training on how to deal with homeless people become over confident in their positions - often there is no real accountability for them to answer to - they develop into a clique, often they assume they have full run of he facility, they become more of a goon squad than security and other personnel. They do favors for those of the homeless they are friends with and will be less than courteous to those they don't know or don't personally like.
All of this creates a great deal of animosity between homeless people and homeless services workers, a problem that exists just below the surface, and will explode into anti social behavior when triggered.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
STRESS and the HOMELESS - SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO EVEN THINK - IS THAT PTS?
WE KNOW PEOPLE, sane people, who are so stressed out from homelessness, even while living at a shelter or in their own RV, that they can barely cope. Months go by and they still haven't applied for Medicare, or made any phone calls to mechanics to get estimates for a repair, or sat down and asked the friend who has been holding some of their possessions just how long they will hold on to it.
WHY NOT.
While SOME homeless do have or get Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or Severe Anxiety including Panic Attacks, most are stressed out from a lack of good sleep, irregular eating habits, and other health-zapping issues.
We've been reading around this topic, and will be posting some interesting information we've found on the internet about STRESS and THE HOMELESS.
And by the way, more than one homeless person has gotten themselves a prescription for MEDICAL MARIJUANA, which is legal here in Los Angeles County, to deal with their stress.
We say, do that before you buy illegal.
WHY NOT.
While SOME homeless do have or get Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or Severe Anxiety including Panic Attacks, most are stressed out from a lack of good sleep, irregular eating habits, and other health-zapping issues.
We've been reading around this topic, and will be posting some interesting information we've found on the internet about STRESS and THE HOMELESS.
And by the way, more than one homeless person has gotten themselves a prescription for MEDICAL MARIJUANA, which is legal here in Los Angeles County, to deal with their stress.
We say, do that before you buy illegal.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Monday, August 24, 2015
SOVA FOOD BANKS - LOST FUNDING MEANS RESTRICTED SERVICE AREAS and NO MORE FOOD FOR HOMELESS - PANTRY CLOSED FRIDAYS
SOVA - a service of Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles, has lost enough funding to restrict the location areas and cut another day off the week for food distribution. Starting in July, all SOVA recipients must show a utility bill or other documentation of their address to prove they are in one of the zip codes SOVA will provide service to.
THIS MEANS THAT THE HOMELESS CANNOT USE SOVA SERVICES, because a PHOTO ID, while asked for, is not considered proof of where a person is living, and homeless do not have utility bills coming to their RV's or sleeping bags.
Acceptable are:
payroll check stub,
utility or phone bill
credit card or bank statement
mortgage bill
rent receipt with landlord's signature
government benefits check
current year jury summons
current year property tax bill or motor vehicle registration
SOVA has three locations METRO (La Brea Ave.) VALLEY ( San Fernando Valley -Van Nuys) and WEST (Pico-Robertson), all three areas having large Jewish populations. However, food is not restricted to Jewish people, though they do provide Kosher food when requested.
THE MAP of locations served is still HUGE, and to be fair, other food banks do also restrict by ZIP CODE, so what may be happening here is that people will have to find the food bank that serves their address.
NEW HOURS AND DAYS
SUNDAYS 9:00- 12:00 METRO and VALLEY OPEN
MONDAY 10:00-1:30 METRO and VALLEY OPEN
TUESDAYS 10:00-1:30 METRO and VALLEY OPEN
WEDNESDAYS 10:00-1:30 PM METRO and WEST OPEN
THURSDAYS 10:00-1:30 PM VALLEY and WEST OPEN
ALL LOCATIONS CLOSED FRIDAYS and SATURDAYS.
THIS MEANS THAT THE HOMELESS CANNOT USE SOVA SERVICES, because a PHOTO ID, while asked for, is not considered proof of where a person is living, and homeless do not have utility bills coming to their RV's or sleeping bags.
Acceptable are:
payroll check stub,
utility or phone bill
credit card or bank statement
mortgage bill
rent receipt with landlord's signature
government benefits check
current year jury summons
current year property tax bill or motor vehicle registration
SOVA has three locations METRO (La Brea Ave.) VALLEY ( San Fernando Valley -Van Nuys) and WEST (Pico-Robertson), all three areas having large Jewish populations. However, food is not restricted to Jewish people, though they do provide Kosher food when requested.
THE MAP of locations served is still HUGE, and to be fair, other food banks do also restrict by ZIP CODE, so what may be happening here is that people will have to find the food bank that serves their address.
NEW HOURS AND DAYS
SUNDAYS 9:00- 12:00 METRO and VALLEY OPEN
MONDAY 10:00-1:30 METRO and VALLEY OPEN
TUESDAYS 10:00-1:30 METRO and VALLEY OPEN
WEDNESDAYS 10:00-1:30 PM METRO and WEST OPEN
THURSDAYS 10:00-1:30 PM VALLEY and WEST OPEN
ALL LOCATIONS CLOSED FRIDAYS and SATURDAYS.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
CITY ATTORNEY MIKE FEUER's PLANS CITATION CLINICS TO HELP HOMELESS RID RECORDS OF CITATIONS
LATIMES EDITORIAL - HOMELESS OP TO EXPUNGE CRIMINAL RECORD
In an attempt to end that cycle, City Atty. Mike Feuer has announced a plan to hold at least six "citation clinics" each year for three years around L.A. County. The clinics, which will be funded by the county at a cost of about $800,000, will work with homeless people to wipe out these fines and erase their records of citations and even the bench warrants in some cases, according to the city attorney's office. In return for the help, they must first start participating in social service programs and complete some community service work.
OC REGISTER on LOS ANGELES PROGRAM
*****
We don't think most of the 60,000 plus homeless in Los Angeles are SERVICE RESISTANT.
WE THINK MANY HAVE GIVEN UP WHILE ON WAITING LISTS!
In an attempt to end that cycle, City Atty. Mike Feuer has announced a plan to hold at least six "citation clinics" each year for three years around L.A. County. The clinics, which will be funded by the county at a cost of about $800,000, will work with homeless people to wipe out these fines and erase their records of citations and even the bench warrants in some cases, according to the city attorney's office. In return for the help, they must first start participating in social service programs and complete some community service work.
OC REGISTER on LOS ANGELES PROGRAM
*****
We don't think most of the 60,000 plus homeless in Los Angeles are SERVICE RESISTANT.
WE THINK MANY HAVE GIVEN UP WHILE ON WAITING LISTS!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Sunday, August 16, 2015
HOPE OF THE VALLEY - SUN VALLEY - FREE CLOTHING FOR HOMELESS - RECUPERATIVE CARE CENTER TO OPEN IN FALL!
HOPE OF THE VALLEY THIRFT STORE IN SUN VALLEY IS NOW GIVING AWAY FREE CLOTHES FOR THE HOMELESS and THOSE IN NEED.
MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS ONLY
8:30 AM to 11:30 AM ONLY
8165 San Fernando Road, Sun Valley - THRIFT STORE PARKING LOT
http://www.hopeofthevalley.org/
http://www.hopeofthevalley.org/news/new-recuperative-care-center SO NEEDED!
Recuperative Care addresses the gap in health care for the homeless who are going back and forth between hospitals and the streets. Many homeless patients are in a vulnerable place. They are too ill to return to the streets, where their injury or illness is exasperated, but not ill enough to stay in the hospital. What they need is a “temporary home” where they can rest, be cared for and recuperate.
Hope of the Valley’s Care Center will provide that “home” environment where patients will be monitored by medical staff while receiving case management from social workers. The goal is to discharge each client from Recuperative Care to Housing.
The new facility will have the following on-site amenities:
MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS ONLY
8:30 AM to 11:30 AM ONLY
8165 San Fernando Road, Sun Valley - THRIFT STORE PARKING LOT
http://www.hopeofthevalley.org/
http://www.hopeofthevalley.org/news/new-recuperative-care-center SO NEEDED!
Recuperative Care addresses the gap in health care for the homeless who are going back and forth between hospitals and the streets. Many homeless patients are in a vulnerable place. They are too ill to return to the streets, where their injury or illness is exasperated, but not ill enough to stay in the hospital. What they need is a “temporary home” where they can rest, be cared for and recuperate.
Hope of the Valley’s Care Center will provide that “home” environment where patients will be monitored by medical staff while receiving case management from social workers. The goal is to discharge each client from Recuperative Care to Housing.
New Facility
Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission has recently purchased a stand-alone 16,000 sq. ft. commercial building on Sepulveda Blvd. in Mission Hills that will house the Recuperative Care Center.The new facility will have the following on-site amenities:
Basic Services Provided
Friday, August 14, 2015
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
CARE HARBOR FREE MEDICAL CARE EVENT - FREE PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES AND MORE _ IN LA OCTOBER 2015 - GET OUT YOUR DARK GLASSES, BIG HATS , and FAKE MUSTACHES NOW!
http://www.careharbor.org/patients/ 2015 INFORMATION
Pick up a free wristband on
Pick up a free wristband on
Sunday, October 11 at the
Ted Watkins Park Fieldhouse
1335 E. 103rd Street
Los Angeles
Distribution begins: 1:00pm
or on
Monday, October 12, at the
Los Angeles Sports Arena
3939 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles
Distribution begins: 10:00am
First come, first served until all wristbands are given out.
One wristband per person
Monday, October 12, at the
Los Angeles Sports Arena
3939 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles
Distribution begins: 10:00am
*****
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE FILMED AS YOU WAIT IN LINE and POSSIBLY INDOORS AS WELL. THE FILM WILL SHOW UP ON LOCAL TV NEWS. THIS IS NOT PRIVACY. IT IS NOT MEDICAL PRIVACY or FINANCIAL PRIVACY.
Reporters will not ask you before they have the camera in your face. SO PREPARE TO WEAR BIG SUNGLASSES AND HATS and MAYBE A FAKE MUSTACHE!
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU, Besides a long long wait in line to get a pass in for another day, and then another line in?
Hundreds of doctors, dentists, optometrists and other professionals will be on hand to serve you.
Medical services will include primary care and specialist exams, screenings, immunizations, and other services.
Dental care will include cleanings, fillings, extractions, and other services.
Vision care will include eye exams and prescription glasses.
Prevention education will be available for every patient, providing you with the information you need to live a healthy life.
You must have a wristband to enter the clinic.
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU, Besides a long long wait in line to get a pass in for another day, and then another line in?
Hundreds of doctors, dentists, optometrists and other professionals will be on hand to serve you.
Medical services will include primary care and specialist exams, screenings, immunizations, and other services.
Dental care will include cleanings, fillings, extractions, and other services.
Vision care will include eye exams and prescription glasses.
Prevention education will be available for every patient, providing you with the information you need to live a healthy life.
You must have a wristband to enter the clinic.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
RV LIFE - NOT HOMELESS JUST HOUSELESS - IS THIS THE HIPSTER WAY TO LIVE?
VERY INTERESTING - WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF YOUR HOME IS ON WHEELS OR ON THE WATER?
"Who really wants a house, white picket fence, 2 cars and a lifetime mortgage these days? Isn't that the polar opposite of freedom? The Canadian (and American) dream is something much more than that. Intro and outro music by fellow Vancouverite Jodi Pederson!"
The narrator of this film goes on a rant about how RV's are not usually the homeless (in Vancouver Canada) and brings up Venice Beach California as a bad example.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
THE GIVING FUND (WOW!) POSTS ABOUT THE GENEROSITY OF HOMELESS PEOPLE TO OTHER HOMELESS
Published on Mar 21, 2015
I wanted to see if homeless people would be willing to give & be generous especially after not having much.
In association with: http://Pranksters.com & http://Damn.com
In association with: http://Pranksters.com & http://Damn.com
http://thegivingfund.org/
Sunday, August 2, 2015
HAVE YOU DONE MOVIE EXTRA WORK? QUESTION FOR HOMELESS!
We've met people who are living in vans with all their clothing for movie extra work inside. They drive to the locations in their vans ready to work. Movie extra work doesn't pay much unless you make it into the union.
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