This week I met with a consumer who has been homeless for many years. He comes to our agency continually seeking assistance for moving in to a home, bus tokens, etc. It was difficult for me working with this man as I wasn't sure if he was telling me the truth about his situation, or even if he was completely "with it" cognitively. He talked about how his money and ID kept getting stolen, and he could not provide any sort of documentation about income even though he talked about it. He gets angry very quickly, even if you are simply reflecting feelings with him and trying to summarize what he is asking. I learned very rapidly that I needed to directly address what he was asking for and not focus so much on empathizing like we typically do.
Once I closed the counseling session with this individual, I took a step back and realized that I had never really believed that anyone could be chronically homeless. It's not a pretty idea! I would rather prefer to think that the services in place help to eliminate that kind of lifestyle. Unfortunately, it is a painful reality. Many people are unable to secure a sustainable living environment due to mental, physical, or financial reasons. What can be done to help these people?
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