Humane approach for homeless

THE EDITOR: It is often said that how a country treats its most vulnerable people says much about its level of development and the humanity of its citizens. Certainly, when I was a teenager, it was rare to see homeless people on the streets. However, there appears to be a growing trend of homelessness, especially among young people.

Even more disturbing is the absence of a comprehensive, structured approach to providing the homeless with either temporary or permanent shelter and other forms of social assistance.

About a month ago I observed a teenager living in a bus shed in the Tacarigua area. We reached out to members of the church, the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, the Children’s Authority and members of the community in an effort to assist the young person.

When I called the ministry I was not able to reach anyone but got only an automated response. What is more unsettling is that none of the others who were contacted proffered an immediate solution to get the young man off the street. Instead, they indicated that the matter should be referred to the police.

To my mind, at the very least the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services and its various municipal offices should have protocols in place to receive and act expeditiously on reports of the public regarding the homeless and others who are at risk and require an intervention.

Given that interactions between the police and some young black men have ended in tragedy and the fact that police may not be properly trained to deal with situations where people may be suffering with mental health issues, I wish to suggest that a more multidisciplinary approach be adopted in providing assistance to the homeless.

For instance, calls should be fielded to the Ministry of Social Development through a hotline (where someone actually answers the phone instead of an automated response). The calls should then be relayed to the appropriate department/ministry based on the type of intervention (ie, social, economic, psychological, etc) required. The ministry should at minimum send a field officer to undertake an assessment of the person, who Field officer) should then advise on the recommended actions.

This field visit can be conducted in conjunction with the police, as necessary. However, the focus should not be on criminalising the homeless person but on providing immediate relief and facilitating his/her rehabilitation.

In the case of the young person who I observed, the help of private citizens was enlisted to stage an intervention. A relative was identified and the young person was reunited with the relative. He was provided with fresh clothes and food but he needs much more than this. He needs counselling, a health check-up and ongoing support to improve his economic and social well-being.

Everyone who ends up on the street represents not just a waste of untapped potential, but it is an indictment of our society. While the Government often boasts about the large budget for social expenditure, more must be done to rehabilitate the socially displaced people in our midst, especially the youth.

This is a call for the Government to adopt a more targeted and humane approach in dealing with the homeless within communities. It is also hoped that there will be greater collaboration and co-ordination between the public institutions, the private sector, religious bodies and civil society in addressing the social problems in the country.

C MELVILLE

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