Mr Millar is correct that people need to be rescued. Clear evidence shows that most people will accept a rescue voluntarily. In Vancouver our randomized trials included 500 people living with serious addictions & other mental illnesses who had been homeless for 10+ years. In the first year after we began supporting them they were 70% less likely to be charged with crimes and 50% less likely to visit an emergency department than people who received “usual services”. And their personal stories reflect the clear possibility of transformative improvement. All of this is published in peer reviewed journals. We’ve also published the outcomes from specialized courts (drug treatment court, community court) showing that people will accept and benefit from being rescued through our court system. Many have children and nearly all want assistance resuming paid work. They are generally young and can have decades of life ahead of them. Mr Millar is also correct that our current policies have been shaped by an extreme and sometimes aggressive minority. The evidence of what works has been ignored and even attacked by advocates who falsely assert that people have “rights” that include living in parks and receiving a public supply of addictive drugs. We are living with the results of their advocacy. When Canadians are ready for change we have many assets available to us. We have: a history of serious and useful analyses (e.g. Out of the Shadows At Last); results from interventions in Canada and internationally (see Portugal’s National Strategy); and advanced monitoring capabilities that reveal where help is most needed and how well our interventions are performing. Tellingly, the BC Government ordered SFU to destroy the information system used to generate evidence for 20 years. I appreciate Mr Millar’s candour and join him in support of Councillor Stevenson’s efforts to broaden our horizons beyond the perpetuation of suffering. In too many communities no one’s rights are being well served, and we can clearly be much better.
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They aren’t really homeless. They are drug addicts or mentally ill. Well intentioned policies are hurting communities and the vulnerable.
The money traditionally budgeted for institutional and outpatient care of the seriously mentally ill is gone. I doubt there is any political will to restore it, and the subject victims are too disenfranchised and mentally impaired to do anything. Of course, we are all victims of this psychosocial disaster, but the silence of our political representatives is deafening.
Professor, Clinical Psychologist
1yI agree. And many clinicians on both sides of the border have been silent also. But there’s evidence that Canadian leaders are beginning to advocate for reinvestments in prevention, treatment & recovery. And that’s in large measure due to voices like yours, reminding us of what we’ve sacrificed and what we’re capable of achieving.