As I play a game of, chase me I am feeling frisky, with my cat I recall one fateful day when I mistakenly (heart-wrenched) advised one of my homeless, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) Veteran clients to find a home for his dog. There are two major issues here; one that the Veteran has a pet to help him cope with his Ptsd, and the second is that he has to sacrifice continuing to stay homeless to keep his pet. What a paradox, huh?
As a public worker and Housing Coordinator working with the Homeless, Veteran citizen for over nine years, the most barrier to preventing homelessness is housing. One of the biggest outcomes of this was lack of availability for capability housing, due to not having good credit or a protection deposit to put down on an apartment. The mind-set of the homeless Veteran who could no longer cope was not to pay his bills on time (or at all) save money and start life over, but to mask the pain from his past or even acute trauma by self-medicating. Self-medicating is a therapy term for abusing drugs, alcohol, or any other kind of addiction so that the someone could escape from the past or even present trauma in their life even if it was temporary and destructive. An foremost strategy for coping with the emotional trauma to mainstream those tormented with mental health issues is getting a pet!
The first issue is very eclectic in thinking, given that pets have proven to be universal in any citizen as conducive to curative of the mind, soul, and even high blood pressure! Their therapeutic qualities are unsurpassed by their diverse looks and even "style." Cleopatra's cat was even worshipped on the Nile! In particular, the Veterans administration (Va) (nursing homes included) has cashed in on the benefits of using a pet to calm and relax an emotionally shell shocked patient. It positively saves the Va money by having fewer episodes of repeated reactions to past trauma; thus reducing acute crisis hospital visits. Reduced visits statistically sacrifice health care costs, especially Medicaid. With reduced Medicaid costs to the public more money can be poured into preventing homelessness straight through new resources like protection deposit money being available.
One tangible set-back is that not all landlords allow pets in their rental property. It is the law to allow a therapeutic pet in such restrictions if that is the only reason a landlord would not rent to the person. Top this off with the required protection deposit that most homeless Veterans do not have and poverty proliferates. That in turn makes one homeless. Many Veterans could not cope when they returned home from war especially from the Vietnam era; which recidivism proliferates in their addictions and homelessness.
Another strategy to obtaining affordable housing is to trade with the prospective landlord in allowing monthly payments for the protection deposit with the due rent.Unfortunately, those with mental health issues tend to not have the public skills to market trustworthiness to the new landlord. That is where a public worker or Case boss comes into a catalytic role for the homeless Veteran. There positively are Outreach worker employees of the Veterans administration who are such and seek out homeless Veterans, as myself as a Housing Coordinator in the non-for profit sector. The question has been so enormously high-priced and hopeless that any faith-based, non-profit organizations have been given grant money from the Federal and State government to find, relocate and provide other life-threatening, needed resources for the homeless Veteran. Due to today's failing cheaper many of the monies that were ready for protection deposits for the needy are no longer available. That is why a Case Manager, public worker is needed to tap into new funding supplies and advocate for grant money in diverse sectors for protection deposits and even furniture.
The Veteran I used as an example said to me when I had to tell him his dog, Spike, would need a new family, "Spike let me sleep at night, Spike kept the "ghosts" (as I call them) away. By the time Gi Joe (shall we call him) moved in without his "other half" it was not even time to pay next month's rent that I heard he started "using" again. Without Spike to help him keep the ghosts away he could not sleep. Money that should have been spent to eat was used to get drugs to self-medicate. I blamed myself for the longest time. Getting rid of Spike was a tragic crime. I asked myself, "How could I have been so blind" because I know how my cat guards me at night to keep the ghosts in flight! The crutch God gives us straight through our pets is a blessing to hold on to and give thanks for their comfort, indeed.
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