Houston’s homeless population reports more mental illness than national average

Nearly 27% of homeless adults in Houston reported substance use disorders in 2023, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.

The approach

Other Houston-area organizations also provide services to support people experiencing homelessness, including the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. The Harris Center is dedicated to serving individuals with behavioral and intellectual needs and provides services such as:

• Peer support services, including supported employment services, substance abuse recovery services, and PEERS for Hope House, a non-clinical crisis respite program.
• Food aid
• Connection to health care and housing
• Transportation to and from appointments
• Therapy

However, providing mental health services to homeless people is not as simple as it seems, said Amber Honsinger, program director for the center’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Services Division.

“Maybe they don’t know about mental health treatment or they’ve never been encouraged to seek mental health treatment. Often it is just general access; they don’t have a place to go and receive services nearby because they don’t have transportation back and forth,” Honsinger said. “Sometimes it’s mental health itself that creates a barrier between people receiving these services. It’s much more complicated than what the general public sees.

The Coalition for the Homeless reported that 69% of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 have been homeless for at least a year, meaning they are chronically homeless.

“What usually happens is that people want to forget; they don’t want to feel the pain,” Honsinger said. “They can’t sleep because the train is too loud or it’s too cold outside, so they turn to drugs, if they weren’t already addicted when they hit the streets. This worsens their mental health symptoms and decreases their chances of getting off the streets. That’s a big factor at play.”

What is done

Presenting mental health services in a different way could be more effective in getting people to access them, said Quana Smith, youth programs manager at the Coalition for the Homeless.

“Telling people if they would like to talk to someone instead of telling them they need mental health services,” Smith said. “The words ‘therapy’ and ‘mental health’ could be a trigger for them. Instead, tell them, “Hey, would you mind if someone came over and talked to you?” »

Although some people reject the opportunity to see a therapist, Smith said many eventually recognize their need.

“When they find they’re having trouble finding a job because of mental illness, that’s when they realize they might need to talk to someone,” she said. she declared.

Smith said she believes prioritizing easy access to mental health services is a critical part of efforts to reduce homelessness and improve outcomes for these individuals.

“I believe mental health is a major issue that we need to continue to address and not stigmatize,” she said. “A lot of us suffer from bipolar disorder, depression, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but we need to take the conversation to where people feel comfortable and make services more easily accessible. »

And after?

The Coalition for the Homeless will release data in June from its annual point-in-time count, held Jan. 22-25. For more information on the count and how to volunteer in the survey organized every January, click here.