with people who are homeless and may
be dealing with mental health issues and
addictions.
“I believe a big part of what we do
in the engagement piece is building a
rapport and trust,” Larry says. “Individuals who have been living in shelters or
living on the streets for a period of time
can become very jaded. They may ask,
‘Why should I trust you? Why do you
want to help me? I don’t get it; I don’t
understand it.’ And so, building that
rapport is essential and that takes a
long time; it doesn’t happen overnight.”
The SOS program practices a harm
reduction approach to support, which
means the focus is on the whole person
and where they are at right now.
It’s about what the individual wants
to work on, whether that is their mental
health, a job search, housing, income
or their addictions.
SOS coordinators focus on an individual’s strengths, their voice and
values. However, stabilization is the
key. As Larry says, the person must see
value in their own goals and navigate
toward obtaining them. If the individual
does not believe in their own goals, this
process will not work. They must also
be ready.
Since connecting with CMHA, Irish
has obtained housing through a partner
organization. After spending a number
of years living on the street, the transition hasn’t been easy and can be quite
overwhelming at times, but to him, it’s
worth it.
“I needed to do it; I needed my own
security,” Irish says. “I guess that’s
basically all I wanted was to get back
to being half normal. I mean, I’m good
on the street because people know me
and respect me and all that kind of jazz,
but it just got tiresome. I just wanted
my own shelter, so to speak.”
Despite the challenges tha Ё