19 votes

Eugene, a town of 170,000 in Oregon, replaced some cops with medics and mental health workers. It's worked for over thirty years

3 comments

  1. [3]
    monarda
    Link
    Emphasis mine: I think setting up something similar to CAHOOTS throughout the nation is a really good starting point. I was a child of the state in the 80s when mental health and support services...

    Emphasis mine:

    Of homeless people with mental health conditions, anywhere from 62.0% to 90% of them will be arrested, per one journal review of homelessness studies. They may end up in jail, not in treatment or housing, and thus begins the cycle of incarceration that doesn't benefit either party.

    Fothergill said while CAHOOTS does its part well -- providing immediate services to someone in crisis -- there's still a void when it comes to long-term solutions.
    "You can call someone for the crisis, but what are they supposed to do for it -- where can they take them except for jail?" she said. "That doesn't necessarily provide much treatment."

    They're better equipped than police to care for the people she serves, she said. But if there isn't space in affordable housing, Eugene's detoxing center or mental health facilities, those clients will turn into regulars.

    I think setting up something similar to CAHOOTS throughout the nation is a really good starting point. I was a child of the state in the 80s when mental health and support services were gutted. This gutting not only devastated myself and my peers, but also many of our communities. Another example of our nation borrowing from the future. CAHOOTS is acting like a band-aid to the larger problem which is that we don't have a system in place to take care of our most vulnerable people, and as long as the void exists, I don't see things getting much better.

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      joplin
      Link Parent
      Agreed. Assuming we can't get the government to do their #&$% job, do you think there are ways that private entities could step in and help? If so, what are they? I ask this because I see where...

      CAHOOTS is acting like a band-aid to the larger problem which is that we don't have a system in place to take care of our most vulnerable people

      Agreed. Assuming we can't get the government to do their #&$% job, do you think there are ways that private entities could step in and help? If so, what are they?

      I ask this because I see where our government is, and where it's likely going, and I don't think we can afford to wait around for them to fix it, even though they absolutely should be the ones to do it. While I strongly dislike leaving this sort of thing to the private sector, I don't see the work getting done any other way. I have some ability to donate to causes that are effectively dealing with this sort of problem, but don't know enough to know which ones are worthwhile. Do you have any suggestions of organizations that have been effective in this area?

      1 vote
      1. monarda
        Link Parent
        This is coming from memory: When the Reagan era was gutting programs, it was touted that communities, non-profits, and churches would step in to fill the gap. The American people would be able to...

        do you think there are ways that private entities could step in and help? If so, what are they?

        This is coming from memory: When the Reagan era was gutting programs, it was touted that communities, non-profits, and churches would step in to fill the gap. The American people would be able to funnel all that money they had from tax cuts to fund things as they saw fit. It's been some 30+ years since then.

        3 votes