Why homeless people do not access homeless shelter?

Downtown’s nightlife is fantastic. There were different kinds of people walking on the street, also there were some people standing or sleeping in the corner. They look tired and helplessness. They were looking at everyone who was walking on the street, they hope anyone who can stop by and ask: “Do you need help?” However, the people were not what they expect. When I was looking at them, I was wondering what they were thinking about. Thinking about their family? Thinking about what they can eat tomorrow? Thinking about why they cannot find a job? Thinking about their experiences? Are you imagining who are those people? Yes, they are homeless people, people who were seeking help.

As a student, have you ever seen homeless people sleeping outside? Have you ever thought about why some homeless people do not use homeless shelters?

I have been volunteering to a homeless shelter before, and I have seen some problems that I thought can be the reason for why homeless people rather slept outside instead of using the shelter. For example, the shelter has a lack of accommodations, the check-in process in the shelter is disrespectful, easy to get sick and lack of privacy in the shelter.

Many of homeless people are disabled, because the factor of their body they had hard time to find a job. Those people are the one who really need to access to the homeless shelter. However homeless shelters are a lack of handicapped accommodations so they have to stay outside. For example, most homeless shelters are in old buildings. Therefore, there are no elevators, no railings in the restrooms and no ramps into the buildings. If the shelters do not have those, how can disabled homeless people access and stay in these places?

Even though disabled homeless people get access in the shelters, they still might choose not to stay in because of the check-in process. Everyone needs to be respect whatever situation he/she is at. When people check in, they need to be asked many different kinds of questions including their sex life. It is okay to ask questions, because it is an information requirement. However, it is not respectful to ask, “Do you have any sexual partners you could stay with?” Those kinds of questions are really hurt people’s feelings. The reason why people chose to stay in the homeless shelter is because they really do not have any places to stay at. Why the check in process suggest people to find a sexual partner so that they have a place to stay in? It is disrespectful! This is why people choose to stay outside instead of using the shelters.

Of course there were many people who do accept the check-in process. After they got in the shelter, they probably would rather to sleep outside, because diseases can spread easily in homeless shelters. There was a homeless person who stayed in the shelter said: “One reason it’s hard to fall asleep in homeless shelter is the almost endless coughing”. (CITE!) If one person is sick, it is very easy to spread the bacteria out. Therefore, the bacteria could infect homeless people who were in the shelter more easily. Even though they are homeless people, but no body wants get sick. When I was volunteering in the homeless shelter, I can hear people coughing constantly. When I was passing the food to those people, they looks they felt sick, because their face look as pale as sheet and also look tired. Don’t you think that is better to sleep outside instead of getting sick in the shelter? If I were they, I would rather sleep outside and get fresh air instead of get sick. If the shelter can sterilize everyday or there is someone who can take care of those sick people, the homeless shelter might be more useful for those homeless people.

One of the reason for disease can spread easily in shelter is because the lack of privacy. “Many homed people would argue that people who are down on their luck are not deserving of privacy”. (CITE)I do not mean that everyone has to have a room, but has to have a bed. People are not suppose to stay in a place where is too crowded. Especial not good for people whom with mental disorder, because crowdie could make them getting worse. I do believe that people would agree that a place to take rest has to be quite, healthy and has everyone’s own privacy. A homeless people said, “Well-meaning planners of homeless shelters try to make the most of their square footage by squeezing as many beds into their shelter as possible. That makes shelters even more frightening to people with claustrophobia, social anxiety, or fear of crowds”. According to the dictionary, claustrophobia is “an abnormal fear of being in enclosed or narrow places” (cite). When I was volunteering in the homeless shelter, I saw some of people were hiding in the corner for a long time and had never talked to anybody. I was guessing that was the way they gave themselves a quite place to stay in. Please imagine if a homeless person stays on the street, especially at night, he/she could have more privacy because there were nobody walking or talking on the street. Is that better to stay on the street rather than stay in the shelter?

People need help, then the whole society try to help them. It is good to help people who need it. It would be better to help them with more concerns. For example for the homeless shelters, it is better to build more shelters for those homeless people so that those people could have more privacy place to stay in, and could be more healthier because the disease could not spread out that easily. Also would be better to make the shelters have better quality, such as solve the accommodations problem so that disabled people have the chose to stay in the shelter. For the check-in process, it would be better to let the homeless people feel that the shelter is their temporary home.

Shelter is the place for take the homeless people in, it also could be the place give more concerns to those people. It could be a place makes homeless people feel as warm as their home.

Get the help needed, by: Joey Glassman

            The lights of downtown are breathtaking, walking down 16^th street mall. Everything is so inviting. Well, almost everything. On one trip to Denver, I walked by a poor-looking man. He seemed to be sleeping on the cold, hard pavement. His skin was incredibly pale, and I observed that the man’s innards were nearly visible. His quasi-transparent skin left more to be desired. The man’s demeanor, passed out on the less-than-appropriate bedding, was rather unsightly, especially with the syringe with a bent needle napping next to him. There could have definitely been more meat on his bones, as well as just more life in him, in general. The crooks of his arms were scabbed and looked as if they were pin cushions in a past life. The balding head on his rather knobby shoulders held a face that lacked something. His eyes looked as though he hadn’t slept in weeks, and his tattered and ripped clothes suggested that he doesn’t have the funds for sufficient, well anything. He was emaciated, tired, and tattered.

            This man is a drug addict. He has a serious problem that needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, his health could worsen, causing things to become much worse for this poor soul. The place for this man to go is a drug rehabilitation center. But what happens if the man can’t get to the drug rehab center? What happens if he chooses not to get help? Nothing good comes of those things.

            First off, let’s define what drug addiction is. According the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NDIA): “Drug addiction is a complex illness characterized by intense and, at times, uncontrollable drug craving, along with compulsive drug seeking and use that persist even in the face of devastating consequences”. In essence, drug addiction is not something that can stop itself. It’s not necessarily something that people can stop on their own accord, either. Sometimes, when people try to relieve themselves of their drug issue, they go through withdrawals, and other serious symptoms. They may be driven to do whatever they need to do to feed their addiction. That’s why drug addiction is such a serious and complicated issue.  Isn’t it appropriate that a complex illness receive appropriate treatment? That’s where the rehab centers come into play.

            What good is a drug rehab center? One might argue that a junkie is a junkie, and that is unchangeable.

            This statement isn’t necessarily true. Drug rehab can be very effective. Based on several scientific studies: “drug treatment reduces drug use by 40 to 60 percent and significantly decreases criminal activity during and after treatment." Drug treatment isn’t a simple two step process, though. There are various procedures that need to take place in order for rehabilitation to be effective. NIDA offers some facts about drug addiction treatment. It is important to for both medication and counseling to occur for drug rehabilitation to be effective, as well as ensuring that these treatments are constantly monitored. It also very essential for treatment to be readily available.

            One of the larger problems with drug addiction treatment is that people simply don’t go in for treatment: “according to SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 23.2 million persons…needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2007. Of these individuals, 2.4 million (10.4 percent of those who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility (i.e., hospital, drug or alcohol rehabilitation or mental health center)." So if you know someone that is addicted to drugs, tell them you are concerned. Gently coax them towards the idea of rehab. You may not know how much you’re doing when you simply bring up the idea. When those who are addicted to drugs and illegal substances get the help they need, they can “return…to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and community.” Isn’t it important to be happy and successful? How can one be these things when they are constantly clinging to something that is a serious danger to their health? And through the use of various medicinal and behavioral therapies, those who are addicted to drugs can start on the road to recovery.

So the next question is why should those that aren’t addicted have to help those that are? They became addicted themselves. Shouldn’t they have to get themselves un-addicted?

            Every action has a consequence. But how good is a nation if there is a portion of people that heavily abuse illegal substances? The United States is a country that is for the greater good. Don’t we want people to be healthy and happy? As well as that, isn’t it nice to be high up on the totem pole of the world? In other words, don’t we like being a strong nation? If those that need the help get the help, we can work to become a stronger nation.

            It’s important for those that need the help, get the help. Our job to help relieve drug addicts of their addiction is to support them in their decision to get help, as well as providing places where they can receive treatment. So long as this happens, we won’t have people that are as miserable as the man I saw on 16^th street.

           

Aid Centers for Rape Survivors

Many people know at least one person who has experienced some form of sexual assault. This may be the case, but a plethora of stigmata still exist around the event. Perhaps part of this is because of the lack of true awareness of rape, or even a deep set fear that can more easily be dismissed with alternate explanations. Rape is not a docile subject; rather, it is controversial and very intense. Most people think of rape as forced sexual intercourse when really it is broader than this. Rape: Sexual contact that is accomplished through emotional or physical “force or threat of force.”

When you hear “rape,” here are some things you might be thinking:

-Girls who are raped wear provocative clothing, act sexy, and are in places they shouldn’t be; they bring it upon themselves.

-Rapists are crazy people who are obvious to spot.

-People are raped in dark alleys at odd hours of the night.

-Rapists are strangers to the victim.

-Women cannot be raped by a person they have had sex with before.

Now, here are some statistics:

In Denver alone, two thousand one hundred twenty-one people reported forcible and other sexual offenses in 2009 and 2010. Nationally, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will experience sexual assault at some point during their lifetime. Every 2 minutes a person is sexually assaulted in the United States and 60% of victims do not report sexual assault/rape. Of these cases, only 6% of rapists spend a single day in jail. For those who believe rape is committed by a perfect stranger, three-quarters of sexual assaults are committed by a non-stranger. Thirty-eight percent of rapists are a friend or acquaintance and 28% are an intimate partner of the victim. More shockingly, 7% of rapists are a relative of the victim. Finally, 33% of rapes happen between 6 am and 6 pm. It is obvious from these statistics that rape is not uncommon, always perpetrated by a perfect stranger, or consistently an event of the darkest night. These statistics communicate the true presence of rape and the ways in which it can occur, but what about the psychological effects on the victim?

A seventeen-year-old girl was left pregnant with twins by her rapist: her boyfriend’s best friend. She trusted him as much as her boyfriend and found herself alone with him in the house the three of them shared. When she woke up on the couch leaning on his shoulder, he was kissing her and, once she realized it was not her boyfriend, he locked her in his bedroom.

“He pushed my skirt up and told me that he was going to ‘fuck me like I deserve to be fucked’. He took off my panties and unzipped his jeans. I couldn’t stop crying, I kept asking him to stop and to let me go, but he just laughed at me and told me to stop acting like a baby... I can remember the pain, it felt like I was being ripped apart. I screamed, I begged him to stop, but it was useless.”

With his weight and violence, there was nothing she could do to stop what was happening. When she was finally free from his weight, fist, and grasp, he made it clear that death would be her next life choice if she told anyone about what he did. No relief comes to her because she has never told anyone and she can no longer handle the thoughts on her own. She avoids him as best she can, but every day is a flashback because they still live in the same house; “Sometimes he comes up to me touches my [pregnant] stomach, just to let me know that he's watching me.” The poor girl cries for someone to talk to, but is petrified to do so.

This survivor is a prime example of a rape victim when it comes down to psychological effects. At first, she was crying, physically sore, and afraid; all part of a long list of initial effects from rape. Others include shock, emotional numbness, shaking, headaches, nausea, hyper vigilance, anxiety, anger, depression, shame, difficulty performing every day tasks, preoccupation with thoughts or feelings about the assault, and avoidance of those who remind them of the assault. Although she does not state specifically why, the survivor from the story is no longer able to deal with the trauma on her own. It is possible that some of the reasons lie in longer-term effects such as increased fears and anxiety, problems sleeping, flashbacks, decreased concentration, somatic complaints, and increased isolation.

Given the mental effects of rape, what is the best way to treat victims of rape and sexual assault? There many different types of therapy out there for rape and sexual assault victims, but the most common are individual and group therapy. The problem is, not all therapy centers are entirely effective or even considered due to some serious problems the victims see with the centers. Many of these problems are seen in both rural and urban areas. Some of the most common issues people have with seeking assistance after rape are the cost of treatment being too high, that they did not even know the resources existed, the names of the services being too intimidating, bureaucracy, and perceptive concerns.

In a survey of rape victims in rural and urban areas performed by Logan, Evans, Stevenson, and Jordan in 2005, the researchers examined more closely the reasons for survivors not seeking help or treatment regarding their rape experience. First, for many service providers, health insurance is required, some of which do not cover the necessary entities that aid in recovery. Second, the topic of rape is not an openly discussed topic making it much more difficult (or less thought about) to find an aid center. Much of this problem stems from the negative and incorrect perceptions about rape leading to limited education of the topic. Also, what may seem as a non-significant issue are the names of certain rape assistance centers. Many include in the title words such as “crisis” or “trauma.” Many survivors can interpret this as a service for those in need of urgent care and in immediate danger only. For survivors that do not discuss the issue for a long period of time and later decide it is necessary to do so, rape “crisis/trauma” centers may deter them further. Next, there exists a strong bureaucracy within rape treatment centers. That is to say, clients must tell their stories with gruesome detail more than once before actually obtaining an appointment with a counselor. The most prominent concerns surrounding seeking counseling are based in the perception of rape from both staff members and the community. Concerns that no one will believe the story or that others will place blame on the victim (particularly if the perpetrator was a known acquaintance) are very common. It is frequent in assistance centers for some staff members to be insensitive. Clients have reported cruelness and lack of focus on the help the victim really needs. It is obvious why survivors of rape are reluctant to look for help when they hear this many poor reviews of rape help centers.

There are only seven hotlines across the state of Colorado, only one of which is a comprehensive center for treatment and awareness, the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program (RAAP). For the first time since their conception in 1983, RAAP studied data they have been collecting for years using the help of the University of Denver’s research methods class in the undergraduate psychology department. Each student in the class, including myself, looked at different sets of data related specifically to demographics and mental health of the clients attending RAAP. The purpose of this was to obtain a fresh look at a rape-crisis centers and determine ways to improve their services. Depending on the variables each student examined, each discovered and suggested different ways to approach treatment. For example, I examined the legal status of a reported offense in relation to scores on a mental health scale. Upon completing statistical analyses, I concluded that further study should be pursued with more specific diving into legal proceedings and its effects on mental health. If more studies such as this are performed, a whole new realm to psychological treatment following a rape could lead to more effective ways in treating patients.

Some suggestions from Logan and colleagues’ study included, “education and training, peer support, changes in the judicial system, and expanded resources” in relation to the service providers in particular. The most common suggestion was to improve and increase education about rape in communities. If this is accomplished, ideally in all communities, the overall mental health of a city, state, and even a country will be improved. If not a choice, this improvement is a responsibility of the United States, and Colorado so as to ultimately improve this well being. Improvement of existing facilities is the first step, however, once these improvements have been made, it is necessary to increase the number of facilities which treat survivors and provide education of rape. This will allow for more people who have experienced any form of sexual assault to seek help and benefit more effectively.

Think about the thirteen year old girl who experienced incest by her uncle who made her believe it was okay. About the boy who’s coach molested him in the locker room after basketball practice. The woman who has permanent scars across her face and legs from the person she could not identify after dinner with a friend. Like me, you probably know a survivor who is still struggling with what happened to them years ago. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to refer them with confidence to a place that can truly help them overcome the trauma? While being a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen to their story is essential to their improvement, survivors of rape and sexual assault frequently need professional care as well.

If you know a person who has been raped/sexually assaulted, it is important to understand the steps you can help them take.

DO: Assure your friend that it was NOT her/his fault

DO: Assure your friend that she/he did the right thing to survive, whatever that was.

DON'T: Focus your feelings on revenge toward the assailant.

DON'T: Expect your friend to be the same as she/he was before the assault.

DON'T: Tell your friend that she/he "should just get over it." Healing from sexual assault is a long and individual process.

If you have been raped, here are some steps you can take:

-Ensure your personal safety.

-Seek medical attention.

-Call the police and/or a rape crisis hotline

-Do not bathe or otherwise disturb evidence.

-Stay calm and write down the details of the assault.

-If you suspect you have been drugged, go IMMEDIATELY to a hospital emergency room and request appropriate tests.