http://knoxtenyearplan.org/2009/03/02/news-sentinels-series-begins/ Ending chronic homelessness through housing first. Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:28:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 http://knoxtenyearplan.org/2009/03/02/news-sentinels-series-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-7452 mary hawk Sun, 24 Oct 2010 19:28:47 +0000 http://knoxtenyearplan.org/?p=106#comment-7452 As a former employee @ ETCDH , former employee and @ Hillcrest nursing Home, I am aware of the release of numerous folks from Lakeshore Hospital . Many of these people were tramatized by change and are considered some of the homeless victims. Just as East Tennessee Chest Disease Hospital was closed in the 70's and the TB problem was at a low,we could rest knowing we were safe from harm .(I don't think so.) By closing Lakeshore as it was, a lot of people suffered for the loss. Families of mentally ill people as well as the patients ,lost security of having a family member more sane ,most of the time. My mother was a patient @ Eastern State Mental Hospital ( now Lakeshore ) for many admissions most of my life. I am so thankful for the services she recieved at both facilities ,as well as Helen Ross McNabb . Living with a father who became a alcoholic during the mental breakdown of my mother ,was a nightmare for a child. Nightmares of many types of abuses and being taken away ,and sent to other abusive places is not the answer for children either.By now ,being blessed to work assisting the homeless population for 20 + yrs to find all of the blessings they should have ( as any human should) is the best time of my life! However, i do believe the supportive housing should have more restrictions on use of alcohol and or drugs due in part because some deranged people think it is funny to give a mentally ill person crack ie.... any thing other than the prescribed medication. It is a great idea for the supportive housings to be staffed 24-7 with case managers (who will be accountable ) and not just to keep the numbers up. During the years working with the homeless i have seen several of the housed men who did come to VMC on Jackson Avenue under the influance of an assortment of things. I feel that by having caring , and real employees to moniter the residents it can be workable. One thing i strongly feel that is needed at Flenniken and Minvilla is on site AA and NA meetings to encourage the residents to change their lifestyle. The community SHOULD hold the housing agency(s) accountable for doing the great job citizens help pay for. Everyone should have the same respect as all people because no one is better than the other (only circiminstances are different). As a former employee @ ETCDH , former employee and @ Hillcrest nursing Home, I am aware of the release of numerous folks from Lakeshore Hospital . Many of these people were tramatized by change and are considered some of the homeless victims. Just as East
Tennessee Chest Disease Hospital was closed in the 70′s and the TB problem was at a low,we could rest knowing we were safe from harm .(I don’t think so.) By closing Lakeshore as it was, a lot of people suffered for the loss. Families of mentally ill people as well as the patients ,lost security of having a family member more sane ,most of the time. My mother was a patient @ Eastern State Mental Hospital ( now Lakeshore ) for many admissions most of my life. I am so thankful for the services she recieved at both facilities ,as well as Helen Ross McNabb . Living with a father who became a alcoholic during the mental breakdown of my mother ,was a nightmare for a child. Nightmares of many types of abuses and being taken away ,and sent to other abusive places is not the answer for children either.By now ,being blessed to work assisting the homeless population for 20 + yrs to find all of the blessings they should have ( as any human should) is the best time of my life! However, i do believe the supportive housing should have more restrictions on use of alcohol and or drugs due in part because some deranged people think it is funny to give a mentally ill person crack ie…. any thing other than the prescribed medication. It is a great idea for the supportive housings to be staffed 24-7 with case managers (who will be accountable ) and not just to keep the numbers up. During the years working with the homeless i have seen several of the housed men who did come to VMC on Jackson Avenue under the influance of an assortment of things. I feel that by having caring , and real employees to moniter the residents it can be workable. One thing i strongly feel that is needed at Flenniken and Minvilla is on site AA and NA meetings to encourage the residents to change their lifestyle. The community SHOULD hold the housing agency(s) accountable for doing the great job citizens help pay for. Everyone should have the same respect as all people because no one is better than the other (only circiminstances are different).

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