Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 08:52     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:I work in a hospital and people like this are routinely brought in by police. Often times they’re on the medical unit until they stabilize, then sent to inpatient psych. If they don’t meet criteria for inpatient, they’re sent to a shelter when discharging, or sometimes they just give an address where they like to sleep (often times a store front, etc) and we send them there by cab. Often times we find that these people with severe presentation like you describe were in transitional housing and even had case managers, but preferred to be in the streets if off the grid, or were kicked out by landlords due to their behaviors; it can be hard to keep them stable and compliant with care.

Of course, this is in the DC area, not a small town.


Or they just wander out. You can restrain them against their will.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 07:43     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:You help them as much as you can without compromising your own safety and sanity. And realize that whatever you do will not be enough to turn around their life, and you very possibly cry and then move on.


I don’t want to be close to a mentally ill person, so I, like the other people in the town would not help. Maybe if contact the local homeless shelter. Quite frankly, I don’t need to be attacked.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 07:40     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:According to disability rights advocates she’s making a lifestyle choice. As long as she’s not suicidal or homicidal she can’t be committed in most states. Most folks like this are kept in American jails. 10 times as many people with serious mental illness are in jails rather than hospitals today.

Realistically she’d be under court ordered treatment for whatever it is. It’s a huge human tragedy.

I’m not sure how they argued someone not of sound mind is making a lifestyle choice. Awful to hear.


It really doesn't logically make sense but disability rights advocates I suppose fear that involuntary commitment will be worse. They reason some (or most) insane asylums were places where a lot of abuses happened so no one should be forced to take medication or be committed against their will. It is awful to see women in this condition who are so out of it they are probably being repeatedly sexually assaulted on the streets.

So the only thing the disability advocates lobby for is free housing no strings attached and voluntary out patient care. But if you are too mentally ill to realize you need care then how are you supposed to go seek care?

So the answer is you do nothing because nothing ends up being done if anyone actually responds.


This! Plus you must have enough mental faculties to deal with the bureaucracy that would grant you access.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 07:38     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:According to disability rights advocates she’s making a lifestyle choice. As long as she’s not suicidal or homicidal she can’t be committed in most states. Most folks like this are kept in American jails. 10 times as many people with serious mental illness are in jails rather than hospitals today.

Realistically she’d be under court ordered treatment for whatever it is. It’s a huge human tragedy.

I’m not sure how they argued someone not of sound mind is making a lifestyle choice. Awful to hear.


Are you aware we are still living in a country where pregnancy is a disability?!

Our laws are not set up for any illness or condition- mental or physical.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 07:13     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:I work in a hospital and people like this are routinely brought in by police. Often times they’re on the medical unit until they stabilize, then sent to inpatient psych. If they don’t meet criteria for inpatient, they’re sent to a shelter when discharging, or sometimes they just give an address where they like to sleep (often times a store front, etc) and we send them there by cab. Often times we find that these people with severe presentation like you describe were in transitional housing and even had case managers, but preferred to be in the streets if off the grid, or were kicked out by landlords due to their behaviors; it can be hard to keep them stable and compliant with care.

Of course, this is in the DC area, not a small town.


Thank you for this answer.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 07:09     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:According to disability rights advocates she’s making a lifestyle choice. As long as she’s not suicidal or homicidal she can’t be committed in most states. Most folks like this are kept in American jails. 10 times as many people with serious mental illness are in jails rather than hospitals today.

Realistically she’d be under court ordered treatment for whatever it is. It’s a huge human tragedy.

I’m not sure how they argued someone not of sound mind is making a lifestyle choice. Awful to hear.


She probably chooses not to take her meds, and I bet they don’t appreciate some yankee interfering.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 07:05     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:According to disability rights advocates she’s making a lifestyle choice. As long as she’s not suicidal or homicidal she can’t be committed in most states. Most folks like this are kept in American jails. 10 times as many people with serious mental illness are in jails rather than hospitals today.

Realistically she’d be under court ordered treatment for whatever it is. It’s a huge human tragedy.

I’m not sure how they argued someone not of sound mind is making a lifestyle choice. Awful to hear.


It really doesn't logically make sense but disability rights advocates I suppose fear that involuntary commitment will be worse. They reason some (or most) insane asylums were places where a lot of abuses happened so no one should be forced to take medication or be committed against their will. It is awful to see women in this condition who are so out of it they are probably being repeatedly sexually assaulted on the streets.

So the only thing the disability advocates lobby for is free housing no strings attached and voluntary out patient care. But if you are too mentally ill to realize you need care then how are you supposed to go seek care?

So the answer is you do nothing because nothing ends up being done if anyone actually responds.


Disability rights advocates are to blame here, not small town police. They can literally do nothing because of people in big cities like the Bazelon Center who pushed for these mentally ill people to not be able to be committed. In fact libs created this mess and refuse to reverse course. Tragic.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 06:48     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As it was Sunday in this podunk town the local police dept wouldn’t answer.


Sure. That’s not how police departments work. People here are so weird. Why make something like this up?


Why? Because it fits her storyline.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 06:41     Subject: Re:What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:It isn't a crime to be sick. The police can't arrest her unless she is committing a crime, even if her presence does not suit your sense of aesthetics. Services can be offered to mentally ill or homeless people, but they can refuse those services, that is their right, whether you agree with it or not. It is very difficult to get a person involuntarily committed I am sure that the small town police as well as everyone else in the small town are familiar with this person.


If she was in danger of dying of hypothermia and so psychotic she was not able to understand the risk (not sure if that was the case here) she could absolutely be committed. Dirty hair and demon talk not on that level, obviously.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 06:31     Subject: Re:What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
It isn't a crime to be sick. The police can't arrest her unless she is committing a crime, even if her presence does not suit your sense of aesthetics. Services can be offered to mentally ill or homeless people, but they can refuse those services, that is their right, whether you agree with it or not. It is very difficult to get a person involuntarily committed I am sure that the small town police as well as everyone else in the small town are familiar with this person.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 06:05     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
I work in a hospital and people like this are routinely brought in by police. Often times they’re on the medical unit until they stabilize, then sent to inpatient psych. If they don’t meet criteria for inpatient, they’re sent to a shelter when discharging, or sometimes they just give an address where they like to sleep (often times a store front, etc) and we send them there by cab. Often times we find that these people with severe presentation like you describe were in transitional housing and even had case managers, but preferred to be in the streets if off the grid, or were kicked out by landlords due to their behaviors; it can be hard to keep them stable and compliant with care.

Of course, this is in the DC area, not a small town.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 04:43     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:OP you did the right thing. Thank you for looking out for this woman. Ignore the noise on the rest of this thread.


What noise? The people calling OP out for “back to civilization” and “podunk”?

And don’t criticize the small towns when the big cities have the same problem.

Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 03:31     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
OP you did the right thing. Thank you for looking out for this woman. Ignore the noise on the rest of this thread.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 00:48     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As it was Sunday in this podunk town the local police dept wouldn’t answer.


Sure. That’s not how police departments work. People here are so weird. Why make something like this up?

Of course it is. You can get in contact with a police department any day of the week in a large city. A small one will be closed.


Police departments are 24/7

911 is 24/7 but small police departments often close on weekends and after 5pm.


So call 911.
Anonymous
Post 12/08/2025 00:47     Subject: What are you supposed to do when you encounter a mentally ill homeless person who seems to need help?
What do you do when you see a mentally ill homeless person who is dirty and needs help in DC? Do the same thing.

I'm guessing in your case it's do nothing.