Homeless people – let us give them dignity
by Denise Nanni and
Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik. In the following, our interview with Jim of the
Operation Safety Net in Pittsburgh. The organisation is part of the Operation
Safety Net, part of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and Trinity Health, sponsored
by the Sisters of Mercy. It touches the lives of hundreds of men and women
living on the streets in Pittsburgh annually by providing them with access to
health care, hope, and dignity. What impressed us was exactly the word
dignity. People who are homeless first of all need dignity. All the rest is
something additional.
Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik. In the following, our interview with Jim of the
Operation Safety Net in Pittsburgh. The organisation is part of the Operation
Safety Net, part of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System and Trinity Health, sponsored
by the Sisters of Mercy. It touches the lives of hundreds of men and women
living on the streets in Pittsburgh annually by providing them with access to
health care, hope, and dignity. What impressed us was exactly the word
dignity. People who are homeless first of all need dignity. All the rest is
something additional.
Jim wrote us: „I have to also say that
I admire your mission very much.
believe is inclusion and social justice.
strategically and symbolically in ways that demonstrate our values then our
ideas will gain momentum.
prior work has been with domestic violence and I see this as the doorway that
led me to seek connection with those who are excluded and whose reality is not
appreciated by mainstream society.
questions.“ We would like to thank Jim again for the important impulses.
I admire your mission very much.
believe is inclusion and social justice.
strategically and symbolically in ways that demonstrate our values then our
ideas will gain momentum.
prior work has been with domestic violence and I see this as the doorway that
led me to seek connection with those who are excluded and whose reality is not
appreciated by mainstream society.
questions.“ We would like to thank Jim again for the important impulses.
What are the main
problems and needs that homeless people need to face?
problems and needs that homeless people need to face?
I have worked to create street
medicine programs throughout the world and I see a commonality in that those
who sleep on the streets are seen as “the other”.
and the experience of people sleeping on the streets.
rough sleeping population are either immigrants or native people who have
experienced historical trauma.
with poverty and trauma are a wide range of medical, mental and addictive
conditions which, in the US result in an average death ago of 47-52.
experience is terrible and universal.
victims find themselves in a complex cycle of injury and a reality for which
services are not effective.
is turned inward and mere survival becomes the focus.
medicine programs throughout the world and I see a commonality in that those
who sleep on the streets are seen as “the other”.
and the experience of people sleeping on the streets.
rough sleeping population are either immigrants or native people who have
experienced historical trauma.
with poverty and trauma are a wide range of medical, mental and addictive
conditions which, in the US result in an average death ago of 47-52.
experience is terrible and universal.
victims find themselves in a complex cycle of injury and a reality for which
services are not effective.
is turned inward and mere survival becomes the focus.
Once on the streets, the mental and
physical health of the street homeless rapidly declines.
the more difficult it is to recover.
suffer from severe weather and violence, but also die at a much higher rate
from preventable conditions poorly treated.
navigate the bureaucratic maze out of homelessness when you are sleeping on the
streets.
is fragmented or non-existent due to barriers to care.
as are the resultant addictions that complicate the unsheltered
experience.
and a loss of hope may be the most deadly forces leading to ultimate death.
physical health of the street homeless rapidly declines.
the more difficult it is to recover.
suffer from severe weather and violence, but also die at a much higher rate
from preventable conditions poorly treated.
navigate the bureaucratic maze out of homelessness when you are sleeping on the
streets.
is fragmented or non-existent due to barriers to care.
as are the resultant addictions that complicate the unsheltered
experience.
and a loss of hope may be the most deadly forces leading to ultimate death.
What are the most
important services offered by your organization?
important services offered by your organization?
My local program, Operation Safety Net
(www.operationsafetynet.net), brings medical
care directly to people living under bridges, along river banks and in the
abandoned buildings of Pittsburgh in the USA.
medical care from backpacks as well as material support to survive the weather.
street homeless to get them to the services they desire.
care, housing, legal and recovery services.
other arenas our staff is able to accompany them to support and advocate for
their rights.
reach” (collaborate, advocate, innovate, integrate and celebrate).
1400 people from the streets in their own apartments.
for the street homeless throughout the various clinics, hospitals and emergency
departments of our city to improve care and reduce costs.
education as an important part of our mission.
the streets” is vital to transforming the consciousness of our future
leaders – many of whom have gone on to start their own programs or devote
themselves to social justice.
(www.operationsafetynet.net), brings medical
care directly to people living under bridges, along river banks and in the
abandoned buildings of Pittsburgh in the USA.
medical care from backpacks as well as material support to survive the weather.
street homeless to get them to the services they desire.
care, housing, legal and recovery services.
other arenas our staff is able to accompany them to support and advocate for
their rights.
reach” (collaborate, advocate, innovate, integrate and celebrate).
1400 people from the streets in their own apartments.
for the street homeless throughout the various clinics, hospitals and emergency
departments of our city to improve care and reduce costs.
education as an important part of our mission.
the streets” is vital to transforming the consciousness of our future
leaders – many of whom have gone on to start their own programs or devote
themselves to social justice.
I am also a founder of an
international organization that is responsible for promoting and developing
street medicine as a global movement.
Street Medicine Institute (www.streetmedicine.org)
partners in over 100 communities on six continents and hosts an annual
International Street Medicine Symposium at a different location each year.
Institute does not provide direct care, it serves as the home of a growing
movement that is bringing direct medical and social care to people sleeping on
the streets wherever they may be found.
Institute provides direct consultation to communities seeking to create their
own programs and facilitates improvement of street medicine best practices.
international organization that is responsible for promoting and developing
street medicine as a global movement.
Street Medicine Institute (www.streetmedicine.org)
partners in over 100 communities on six continents and hosts an annual
International Street Medicine Symposium at a different location each year.
Institute does not provide direct care, it serves as the home of a growing
movement that is bringing direct medical and social care to people sleeping on
the streets wherever they may be found.
Institute provides direct consultation to communities seeking to create their
own programs and facilitates improvement of street medicine best practices.
Do you cooperate
with local authorities and institutions? If yes, at which level?
with local authorities and institutions? If yes, at which level?
All street medicine programs like mine
have to work over the years to build relationships with all the other relevant
agencies and community entities like the
complicated by politics and prejudice.
organization devote a significant amount of time to meeting those stakeholders
and develop positive solutions.
sit on a variety of committees reflecting the range of political perspective.
the streets is both an advantage and a moral obligation to uphold.
street homeless.
mentioned above, we work to reconnect the street population with the rest of
the community by humanizing each group to the other in the process of creating
solutions
individuals to the mayor who has joined us on street rounds to deliver care.
resource as street medicine tends to attract the interest of the public in
whatever location it is practiced.
have to work over the years to build relationships with all the other relevant
agencies and community entities like the
complicated by politics and prejudice.
organization devote a significant amount of time to meeting those stakeholders
and develop positive solutions.
sit on a variety of committees reflecting the range of political perspective.
the streets is both an advantage and a moral obligation to uphold.
street homeless.
mentioned above, we work to reconnect the street population with the rest of
the community by humanizing each group to the other in the process of creating
solutions
individuals to the mayor who has joined us on street rounds to deliver care.
resource as street medicine tends to attract the interest of the public in
whatever location it is practiced.
Do you think that
institutions and policy makers could act in order to prevent this issue? If
yes, how?
institutions and policy makers could act in order to prevent this issue? If
yes, how?
I think that institutions and policy
makers must look at the forces that lead to street homelessness and create
solutions such as affordable housing, reality based support systems for those
at risk of homelessness, and better coordination of resources.
the failure of such systems.
with most issues, prevention would be far better than a late response to this
chronic disaster.
makers must look at the forces that lead to street homelessness and create
solutions such as affordable housing, reality based support systems for those
at risk of homelessness, and better coordination of resources.
the failure of such systems.
with most issues, prevention would be far better than a late response to this
chronic disaster.
