Homelessness pushes mental health to backburner

By Kristen Aguirre

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Research and local leaders say one of the top reasons for homelessness here in the mountains is lack of support for mental health, coupled with substance abuse.

“Last time I was here was probably back in 2005,” said Donna Ball, as she walked through Aston Park in Asheville.

“It’s quiet, it’s clean — yeah, it’s a little surreal,” she said.

Underneath the trees is a familiar place for her.

“I would take my purse or my backpack or whatever I had and make a pillow out of it and sleep under the trees,” she said. “It wasn’t anything like this. Yeah, it’s just surreal.”

Ball was homeless for 13 years.

All the memories came flooding back to her as she continued to walk Aston Park. It feels like another life, she said.

“It does, it really does, because my life is so completely different now,” Ball said.

Back then, Ball battled addiction and mental health challenges.

“I think it plays a big role because if you’re not getting the help you need for mental illness, holding a job is very hard,” Ball said.

“Certainly, if you’re experiencing homelessness, any mental health issues that exist are going to be compounded by the stressors of homelessness,” said Meredith Switzer, interim executive director at All Souls Counseling Center.

It’s common challenge for those living on the street, Switzer said.

“If you don’t have a safe place to live, then you can’t tend to the other areas of your life,” Switzer said.

All Souls Counseling Center is a nonprofit that provides quality mental health counseling to the uninsured and under-insured residents of Western North Carolina.

“We certainly know — housing is healthcare,” Switzer said.

Switzer, previously with Homeward Bound, knows firsthand how the lack of mental health resources can directly impact the homeless population.

“When you don’t have a safe place to shelter or a safe place to live, then that’s your one goal,” Switzer said. “You are looking for that, you are seeking that, especially during times when the weather is cold.”

This is also when mental health falls to the backburner, she said.

“We know that a large number of people who experience homelessness also struggle with mental illness,” Switzer said.

She said when a person’s focus is on survival, mental health isn’t a priority.

“We recognize, for those who experience mental health challenges, they often times need individual counseling,” she said. “Sometimes, they need medication support and maintenance.”

It’s a vicious cycle, Switzer said.

“On the flip side of that, if you’ve fallen into homelessness, it’s really difficult to address issues such as depression, anxiety. All of those will get worse when you don’t have a safe place to live,” Switzer said. “They’re all so interconnected.” Switzer said studies show that 40 to 50% of the homeless population deals with mental health challenges.

“We know those who are chronically homeless, those who have been living outside the longest without shelter oftentimes have the most profound mental illness — mental illness that has been unaddressed for a number of years,” she said. “Oftentimes, they haven’t been able to access medical health, mental health services such as counseling, maintenance, medication, things like that.”

That lack of addressing mental health issues can also lead to substance abuse if they begin to self-medicate, according to Switzer.

“I think it’s important to recognize that we are all valuable and we all struggle,” she said. “We all have varying degrees of challenges in our life at various times. I think it’s important to know, to not be afraid or ashamed of reaching out for support when you need it.”

In Western N.C., there are places that can help. Organizations like Church of the Advocate in downtown Asheville, Haywood Street Congregation and the Homeward Bound AHOPE Day Center each offer services and support for mental health and substance abuse.

“Homelessness is not a choice, Ball said. “Circumstances in life maybe, we choose it. But overall, no one grows up and says, ‘I want to be homeless.’ And people can change.”

People like Donna.

“I’m kind of proud,” she said.

In 2011, Ball got clean, and while she continues to battle depression and anxiety, she now has the resources like therapy to support her mental health. Donna has held the same job for the last eight years. She is also on the board of directors of Homeward Bound and Haywood Street Congregation

“She is proof, if you have the right supportive services, if you have the right people and the right agencies surround you and provide you with a boost and the right support at the right time,” Switzer said, “you can certainly move through an experience of homelessness.”

Ball said she feels empathy when she returns to Aston Park.

“Oh wow, I’ve come a long way,” she laughed.

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