Help DESC save their HOST program here!
| Help save DESC's Street Outreach Program | |
 DESC was informed on Friday that King County plans to cut 86% of funding to our HOST Outreach and Engagement Program, effective Dec 1, 2010. The HOST Team is the only street outreach program in the city which assists people with long histories of homelessness living on the streets of Seattle with untreated schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other serious mental illnesses. These are people who are so ill, they are unable to engage with services or seek any kind of care for themselves. These are the most visible, vulnerable and costly individuals in Seattle. The cut is a result of State funding shortfalls and a recent order from the Governor to slash significant funding across-the-board. It will devastate this 15-year-old program, causing immediate suspension of outreach and engagement services to hundreds of vulnerable homeless men and women living with serious mental illnesses. This cut is incredibly short-sighted and will likely cost us all more in the end. One-third of current clients are defined as high utilizers of jail or hospitals, or were referred to HOST directly by the criminal justice system. Left unengaged, former HOST clients will cycle back and forth from hospital, to jail, to the street. Local businesses and Seattle tourism will no doubt be affected by this increase of vulnerable people on the streets. PLEASE take 3 minutes to contact a couple of key people about this today or by tomorrow, the latest. Decisions about cuts will be finalized this week, so immediate action is critical. Here's a draft of a message to send to Dow Constantine (King County Exec) and Jackie MacLean (Director of the King Cty Dept of Community and Human Services): Dow Constantine -206-296-4040 Jackie MacLean -206-263-9006 DESC's HOST provides vital services to our county's most vulnerable homeless residents and many of the high utilizers of jails and hospitals - those living out on the streets with serious mental illness who are unable to get help on their own. It has a 15 year track record of connecting people to the help they need, and stemming greater crisis costs in the process. It is inhumane and shortsighted to cut this vital community service. This will cut nearly half of all outreach and engagement to homeless people occurring in Seattle. Currently, over 150 men and women are actively engaged with the HOST team. Nearly all of these people will lose all mental health services on December 1. They will not be transferred or 'picked up' by another program. The jails and E.R.s of our city will become their new safety net this holiday season. There will be no efforts to engage an additional 200 people known to HOST staff. These state-mandated cuts to non-Medicaid funding are disproportionately placed on the most vulnerable of citizens. Efficiencies in county administration should be fully exhausted before cutting direct survival services to mentally ill homeless men and women. Please re-evaluate how these cuts are being administered, and restore funding to the HOST program. ---- More information here Thanks for your help. Please pass the word! | |
