Paul Wilm, Veteran. Photo by Christopher Mullen / Post Independent

Joe Mollica asked a valid question in a recent Letter to the Editor in a the Glenwood Post Independent. I have to say that Ward 1 candidate Steve Davis gave a much better response during the Issues and Answers night than I.  This is not an issue simply of homelessness.  As Steve pointed out, for some, this is a lifestyle choice.  For others, like some veterans it is the result of circumstances beyond their control. And for others it is due to mental illness. 

Steve Carcaterra who was the director of Lift Up at the time,  was among the first to recognize the severity of the problem in Glenwood and from that  evolved the Extended Table which continues at the First United Methodist Church.  My children and I cooked, served, and did clean up detail for  a number of years when this program was in its infancy. While my focus has changed, my understanding of the need in this area has not.

Homeless. By Dmitry G (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The photo of Paul Wilm, above, was from a Glenwood Post Independent article last November addressing the homeless issue. However, to address this issue completely, we must also address another significant issue within our community.  That issue is mental illness.  A year ago I penned a column for the Glenwood Post Independent titled You Are Not Alone.  The Glenwood Post has since provided numerous columns including some from Publisher Michael Bennett on the ravages of mental illness.

Here are some facts from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

• One in four adults experiences mental illness in a given year. One in 17 people live with serious mental illness like schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.
• Approximately 20 percent of youth ages 13-18 experience severe mental disorders in a given year. For kids ages 8-15, about 13 percent experience a severe mental disorder.
• About 60 percent of adults and 50 percent of children and youths with mental illness have received no mental health services in the past year.
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death — more common than homicide — and the third leading cause of death for those in the 15-24 year range.
• Veterans represent 20 percent of suicides nationally. Each day about 22 veterans die by suicide.

Like it or not, the issues are related.  But Mr. Mollica is asking for solutions. The City certainly has some responsibility but little money.   Currently the City earmarks over $140, 000 in discretionary funding for grants.  Much of the grant money goes to organizations like the Salvation Army, Feed My Sheep and Catholic Charities.  Could it do more?  

Cooter by  Kelley Cox Post Independent 2008

Developing public/private partnerships and relationships to effect change is critical. Most of the homeless population, including those suffering from mental illness, range throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.  A start might be a regional group including Aspen Hope, Mindsprings, NAMI,  Veterans Administration, Valley View Hospital, Aspen Valley Hospital, the counties and municipalities coming together to get three critical facilities done:  1) a detox facility 2) an inpatient facility specializing in mental illness and 3) an emergency homeless shelter with access to help from Mindspring and/or Aspen Hope. 

The city cannot do this alone, nor should it.  But there is opportunity to make progress in this area one step at a time.  As usual, the issue is location.  I am not an advocate of this infrastructure being in downtown Glenwood, however, the issue of transportation must be considered. To house these facilities in Glenwood’s core is to invite conflict. 

Perhaps it is time to start these discussions.  Again, this is one area that we know that something is needed . . . so we don’t need a study or to hire an outside consultant.  We just need get the major players at a table, find a viable location, and get the show on the road.  It may need to be done in stages due to funding constraints.  But that should not keep Glenwood Springs, in cooperation with others, from moving forward!