Mental health can be a sensitive topic. The conversation gets trickier when it comes to our non-dwelling population. Something Marillac Health’s director of behavioral health, Connie Mercer-Cogburn, can attest to. Multiple roads lead to homelessness in America and thus Grand Junction. The deeper question is why the homeless remain homeless. Regardless of the cause, Mercer-Cogburn says all factors that lead to home loss are interrelated.
Mercer-Cogburn tells me they work using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and psychological theory is divided into 5 needs that a person must have fulfilled; physicality, safety, love, belonging, respect, and self-actualization. Maslow’s theory found that a person cannot begin to satisfy the needs of one class until the needs of the levels below are met. The vast majority of the homeless across the country often can’t even meet their basic physical needs, and most don’t know where or when their next meal will come from. Marillac helps non-sedated patients with everything from depression and anxiety to more severe illnesses like trauma and schizophrenia. It also caters to dentistry, and helps self-esteem so much, some people even join the workforce. And since Marillac operates on a judgment-free ideology, they can even help people clean up if they’re struggling with substance abuse. Fortunately, Marillac has some help.
Catholic Outreach helps the unhoused find food and shelter, addressing this hierarchy of needs. Marillac may not be directly connected to organizations like food banks and the city’s housing department, but somehow, they still help The number of homeless patients Marillac sees, 5 to 10 per week, is evidence that a large portion of our homeless population wants homes, a job, and a reclaimed place in the community. The problem is that homelessness is a delicate and multi-layered issue. Instead of ignoring a growing problem, the Homeless Needs Assessment will end in Grand Junction, July 21, bringing our city one step closer to finding viable, long-term solutions.
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