| Mental
health is a vital component of well-being and should
be actively promoted.
Portlanders appreciate the role that mental health
plays in creating an overall sense of well-being for
individuals as well as the community at large. Portland
is commonly seen as a city that supports the mental
health of the general population, yet many feel that
services are lacking for individuals with specific mental
health challenges. Portlanders point to the high number
of homeless people with obvious mental health issues
as evidence that much more can be done to address the
community’s mental health needs.
The vast majority of comments in this section involved
the connection between homelessness and mental health
issues, with many respondents voicing their deep concern
over the number of people experiencing mental health
challenges who are also experiencing homelessness. Portlanders
would like every person to be able to access needed
mental health services, regardless of income or insurance
status. Portlanders also want to see a police force
that is better equipped to deal appropriately with those
experiencing mental illness or unstable mental states.
Note: This
section contains content that overlaps significantly
with content discussed in the following sections: Social
Issues: Homelessness, Public
Safety: Policing, and Health: Substance
Abuse.
- All
community members benefit from efforts to keep life
in Portland low-stress and anxiety-free.
- Mental
healthcare, like physical healthcare, should be accessible
to all.
- Insufficient services
exist for people with mental health challenges.
- Issues of mental health
and homelessness are closely linked together.
- Police need training in
how to deal with individuals suffering from mental
illness.
- All
community members benefit from efforts to
keep life in Portland low-stress and anxiety-free.
- Respondents note that stress, anxiety, fear
and anger all contribute negatively to people’s
mental health.
- Many people mentioned that they valued Portland’s
easy going positive attitude and that it is
a low-stress city compared to other places
they may have lived (see Urban
Livability: The People for more).
- Factors that keep life in Portland relatively
low-stress include:
- Being able to get around town easily
using multiple modes of transit (including
cycling, walking, running and public transit);
- Community members who keep the focus
on quality of life, family time, and friends
rather than focusing exclusively on their
jobs;
- Access to the outdoors and beautiful
natural surroundings, which bring balance
into the urban atmosphere; and
- The abundance of community spaces and
events that bring people together, including
farmers markets, open-air concerts and
community-based educational opportunities.
- In addition, Portland’s strong sense of
community can decrease feelings of isolation
that can lead to depression and anxiety (see
Urban
Livability: Sense of Community).
- Some Portlanders are worried that life
in the city is becoming increasingly stressful
as the population continues to grow. Factors
that contribute to stress levels include:
- Worsening traffic on major roads (See
Transportation:
Traffic);
- The deteriorating quality of the city’s
public schools;
- The loss of affordable housing and
appreciating housing prices;
- The presence of so many panhandlers
and “street people” downtown, which stresses
shoppers, business owners, and others
who pass through downtown;
- The challenges some face to finding
living-wage jobs with benefits;
- And the growing income disparities
in Portland.
| "[I
would like to see] easier access to healthcare,
lessen stressors, focus more on treatment.
Success in the community would go up.”
|
| "I’m
afraid of Portland turning into a bigger,
dirtier, more crime-filled, stress-filled
city. I’m afraid of jobs and diverse people
fleeing the downtown and close-in neighborhoods.” |
| "[I
want to see] happy, healthy people with
healthy minds.” |
- Mental
healthcare, like physical healthcare, should
be accessible to all.
- Portlanders understand that mental health
is a critical component of overall health
and well-being.
- Portlanders also understand the connection
between good mental health and the ability
to seek employment and find and keep housing.
- Respondents value that Portlanders seem
to care about the mental health and well-being
of all community members. People find this
sense of compassion comforting and hope to
see it maintained in the future.
- In the future, Portlanders want to see
mental healthcare needs met, regardless of
a person’s ability to pay, to ensure all Portlanders
receive the care they need to enjoy a high
quality of life.
- In particular, respondents would like to
see counseling and medication supplied free
of charge to members of our community who
are in need of such treatments.
| “Make
health and sanity the highest priority.”
|
| "Better
mental healthcare system, or more of a
debate about what could make it better.” |
| “…Better
funding for health care for indigent populations.
More price controlled housing (closing
SRO’s and replacing them with high price
condos has displaced a lot of people).
Better funded mental health services (this
will save money by reducing ER usage.)” |
- “Reform schools and mental health
institutions so that they cultivate the beauty
and creativity of youth -- not stamp it down.”
- “Create an organization that gathers all
service providers for mental health and homelessness
under one banner so that we aren’t all stepping
on each other’s toes and confusing clients.
Realize that food, clothing and housing alone
do not make a healthy citizen.”
- Insufficient
services exist for people with mental illness.
- Many Portlanders believe that people with
mental health issues are not receiving the
level of service or the type of services they
need to overcome their challenges.
- Many effective treatment options are not
covered by health insurers or not readily
available to people with low incomes.
- Respondents would like to see a re-opening
of the area’s drop-in centers and public funding
for a wider range of treatment options.
| “People
who struggle with have chronic and severe
mental illnesses such as clinical depression,
bipolar disorder schizophrenia and schizo
affective disorder can benefit greatly
from art therapy. Art therapy was one
of the most popular, most attended activity
at mental health services west's adult
drop in center.” |
| "I
would like to see Portland become a bit
more conservative in nature. The social
agenda in my opinion makes things worse
not better. I would like to see a more
stable school system and school choice.
I would like to see us take better care
of our mentally challenged and veterans.” |
| “It
is very important that mental health works
in Portland stop their turf wars over
funding and begin representing mental
health consumer/clients and taxpayers.
Drop in centers and out patient therapy
save millions of taxpayers dollars over
hospitalization. Many people I know have
told me those things have kept them out
of the hospitals and kept them stable,
happier, and healthier." |
| "I
would also like to see a system for our
mentally ill that keeps them safe and
the public safe from them. A walk downtown
makes it clear that our system has failed
them.” |
- "Comply with the Multnomah County
Mental Health Plan composed under the auspices
of Bev Stein's committee, which was composed
of citizens, mental health consumers, advocates
for adults and children, and mental health
professionals.”
- Hold public mental health and developmental
disability services (Multnomah County) accountable
for outreach and risk management.
- “Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and
similar progressive programs for outreach
to seriously mentally ill (coming here after
years in the East and the Midwest, I was shocked
that mental health services here don't make
use of ACT.)”
- “My suggestion is that the City of Portland
and Multnomah County Mental Health work closely
with Marylhurst Dept. of Art Therapy to move
toward public funding for funding for their
graduates. Another advantage for this is that
local art therapy graduates would find local
jobs in their fields. The way things are now
for instance is like what Kaiser Permanente
told me ‘even if we hired an art therapist
we would not allow them to practice that type
of therapy.’”
- Issues
of mental health and homelessness are closely
linked together.
- Portlanders frequently state the connection
between the city’s homelessness problem and
our inability to provide people with adequate
mental health services.
- Respondents believe that many people who
are homeless have untreated mental illnesses,
which cause them to lose their housing and/or
prevent them from finding housing.
- Respondents also believe that many people
without homes were previously institutionalized
but have been released from residential programs
without a plan for how they will become self-sufficient.
- While Portlanders are generally intolerant
of pan-handlers, they express compassion towards
homeless people that are dealing with mental
health issues, stating that they should be
able to receive the treatment and services
they need.
- In particular, Portlanders would like homeless
people suffering from mental health issues
to have free access to:
- Safe shelters and/or temporary housing
so they don’t have to sleep on the streets;
- Medication, therapy and other needed
mental health services; and
- Job training and housing assistance
to break the cycle of homelessness.
- Portlanders envision a future in which nobody
experiencing mental illness has to live on
the streets for lack of housing, a job or
the treatment they need.
| “We
can stand up against the status quo that
would tell us to criminalize homelessness,
when a majority of the people on the streets
are ailing from mental illness, having
been either deinstitutionalized or having
run out of any other options. We can take
a visible stand for the people of Portland,
unite beyond differences, call out for
community action efforts and make a bold
statement that we are the City of Roses
and there are no invisible people here!!” |
| “Focus
on homelessness and care for the mentally
ill. We need resources for case management
with housing. These two areas are visible
to all who come to town and do not speak
of our concern for those who are less
fortunate. I would also like to see the
City and County work closer [together].” |
| “…I
just got back from visiting Iceland, where
I didn’t find any homeless people, and
the only mentally ill people I saw were
with their friends and families doing
activities and being happy together…I
didn’t see obviously mentally ill people
on the streets muttering to themselves
unshaven with nothing else to do because
society has rejected them.” |
- “Single occupancy residential buildings
are very successful in other cities and allow
homeless people some dignity. They then have
a mail address, a place for social service
agencies to find them, a start on getting
more stability in their lives. Since many
of the homeless are fall outs from closed
mental health facilities or in need of mental
health services, it is crucial to provide
a stabilizing force in their life so that
they can deal with medication and other health
issues.”
- Police
need training in how to deal with individuals
suffering from mental illness.
- Many Portlanders believe that the Portland
Police Bureau does not properly train officers
in how to deal with mental illness.
- Respondents express outrage at instances
of people with mental illnesses being shot
and killed by officers who clearly did not
know how to work effectively with this population.
| "Adequately
fund/plan for homeless and impoverished
citizens. It’s embarrassing and distressing
to have our downtown look like a third
world country. Also, the drug dealing
on the bus mall needs to stop – it’s really
not safe for bystanders. However we need
to do it without police that are feared
like a death squad.” |
| “More
police training related to crisis management
and how to interact with the mentally
ill.” |
| “Create
a police force that does not use deadly
force…truly!!! It’s scary!!! The killing
of the mentally ill man in the Pearl was
a crime! The killing of the “high” teenager
whose mother called 911 for help to protect
her son was a crime!” |
- Expand the training and preparation
of the police for dealing with mental illness
and educate them on crisis management. (See
Public
Safety: Policing.)
- "Work on creating agency or institution
to deal with mentally ill people instead of
forcing the police to handle a social issue.
Free them up to work with crimes."
- “Better training for police for people who
are out of control or have mental illnesses.
Perhaps a virtual reality training session
to inform police about schizophrenia, paranoia,
drug experiences, where the suspects mind
is experiencing a different reality.”
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