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“People are not one-dimensional, and neither are their problems,” said Sean J. de Four of MiSide Community Impact Network, emphasizing the need for a mindset shift. “We decided we couldn’t continue to just treat problems. We had to actually treat people.”
Without this change, he warned, “What we’re doing is we’re giving people just enough services to not remain in crisis, but not enough services to actually remain stable in the long term and thrive.” He also highlighted the impact of integrated efforts, noting that this work is most effective when it takes place across silos and is aligned across programs.
Building on this, Aubrey Macfarlane of Volunteers of America – Michigan stressed that siloed systems can make matters worse, explaining that it “creates a space where people have to repeat their story over and over again,” which can be retraumatizing.
“It often takes a lot for someone to reach out and ask for help, or for someone to reach out and say I’ve identified this challenge, and my goal is to get here. How do I get there?” She asked
One of the biggest challenges in this space is that “it’s not clear and obvious that there’s an ROI in one place that justifies an investment,” according to Ryan Hertz of Lighthouse. The challenge, then, becomes how to better connect these dots through data and shift the narrative around how people behave and react to homelessness.
“Look across our sectors,” he said. “There’s incredible cost savings to ensuring nobody is unhoused, ensuring those that we provide housing to are proximate to work and opportunity, which includes social opportunity in order to connect, and includes education of the children in those households. Look at all of the ROI we are getting as a society. But maybe the emergency room in that particular community doesn’t get quite enough to write the check for everybody’s round.”
On a more positive note, De Four highlighted that the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Model has support from the Michigan House and Senate, as well as at the federal level, meaning that there would be no barriers to getting treatment when somebody needs mental health support.”
Macfarlane pointed to key areas where policy can do more, with one critical issue being how veterans are supported.
“It really is a challenge, and there’s a current legislative agenda to allow veterans to be assigned guardianship,” she said. “Assigning a veteran guardianship because they’re homeless really strips them of their independence.”
Picking up from earlier, Hertz emphasized that even when data clearly demonstrates ROI in the policy arena, saying “people tend to resort to stories.” As a result, these stories are what “fundamentally drives the electorates to enable efficient policy,” he said. The narratives people believe are shaped by their lived experiences or what they’ve been told. However, as Hertz stressed, “Actually investing in people and equipping people and believing in people has an ROI.”
On a deeper level, Hertz, De Four, and Macfarlane all urged individuals to avoid judgment. As it relates to homelessness, Macfarlane noted, “You have to remember, you are one decision or one incident away from homelessness, and people don’t realize that homelessness is really that accessible.”
This session was hosted by Delta Dental.
