[humanser] the homeless blind

[Julie Russell]

Hello,

I also worked in two positions that were at least in part funded by a 
coalition for the homeless.

The first was for women that were homeless and mentally ill often with a few 
additional Axis I disorders and the second was a transitional homeless 
shelter (18 months) where I provided therapy to the population with Axis I 
disorders.  Thinking back to that time (mid to late 1990) what strikes me is 
the complete lack of people with other disabilities.  Like you JD - where 
were they?

I remember once the first organization I worked for out of grad school noted 
to a woman with grand mal seizures that the organization did not have the 
medical care to assist her.  We were housed across the street from an ER in 
Uptown New Orleans.  I remember a large disagreement regarding this and left 
the agency shortly after.  The client had many years on the street and the 
seizures were secondary to drug abuse.  I knew if I ever saw her on the 
street it would be hard.  We were wrong.
I found another position and moved on.  The organization changed directors 
and improved.

In the two years I worked in those positions though I never admitted anyone 
that was blind or had a physical disability such as wheelchair or deaf.

New Orleans is poor and in so many ways our statistics are of a third world 
country.  We have a chronic shortage of housing.

The years I spent in Bethesda working residential with teens never saw a 
physical disability.  The agency pulled from DC/ MD, and Northern VI for 
clients.  This area is not faced with the economic difficulties New Orleans 
has.

I too am left to wonder.

Julie Russell, LCSW
New Orleans
----- Original Message ----- 


From: "JD Townsend" <43210 at bellsouth.net>
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2008 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: [humanser] the homeless blind


> Shalom David:
>
> I worked with homeless peoples in New York City for many years during the
> late 1980's and early 1990's, running programs to house homeless mentally
> ill and/or substance addicted populations.  I did work with some deaf 
> folks,
> some wheelchair folks, and with a variety of disabled homeless folks; 
> but,
> never a blind person.  Until your message the lack of blind homeless never
> struck me.  Where were they?  I did know of many blind folks who rented a
> room in someone's apartment, living off a SSI or SSD check;  however they
> never seem to have made it to the homeless shelters.
>
> Now you've done it, given me something new to wonder about!
>
>
> JD Townsend, LCSW
> Daytona Beach, Florida, Earth, Sol System
> Helping the light dependent to see.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Judith Bron" <jbron at optonline.net>
> To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 9:56 AM
> Subject: [humanser] the homeless blind
>
>
>>I don't think you can research a group of people based on disability in 
>>New
>>York State.  Judith
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>
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