Creed Culbreath speaks at a meeting of the Highland County Prevention and Recovery Coalition.
Creed Culbreath, the director of collaboration for Reach for Tomorrow, spoke about homelessness as well as substance use disorder and mental health disorders during a meeting of the Highland County Prevention and Recovery Coalition on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
Culbreath said researchers working for the Missouri Health Department believe that 50 percent of homeless persons in the U.S. have an impacting substance use disorder that is keeping them from full functionality and 30 percent have a mental health disorder.
He said research shows that homelessness itself may impact the way people’s minds are able to think, organize, plan, and make decisions. “There are even people that are proposing disorders due strictly to homelessness and no other factors,” said Culbreath.
“So, how many of that 30 percent, we might want to begin asking ourselves, have disorders that began with homelessness rather that preceded homelessness,” he said.
Culbreath said there are a number of causes of homelessness. He said an abrupt unplanned change in living situation such as the loss of a job, illness, or an unexpected rising cost in rent or utilities cause homelessness.
He said a mental health disorder or a fear for someone’s safety could also be causes of homelessness.
“Another one is drug use takes money that is needed for rent, mortgage, or utilities, and they’re just not able to keep up,” he said. “Another cause is just an inability to plan or budget despite the fact that they may have adequate funding, and some people see advantages in homelessness and wanting to stay homeless.”
Culbreath said when the homeless shelter in Hillsboro was first proposed, it was very controversial. However, he said, “From what I’ve seen it is most impressive, and it’s a very comfortable, welcoming kind of place.”
He said he took a person to a homeless shelter who was in Greenfield in the past.
“Somebody with an anxiety disorder, I don’t think could go in there,” said Culbreath. “There were hundreds of people and bright lights, no walls, cages separating one area from another, and two armed security persons,” he said. “I could see people with anxiety disorders just being terrified, so I’m very pleased with what we have in this community.”
He said that although programs through Highland Community Action do positive work to fight homelessness, resources are scarce.
“We found by pooling our resources, we thought maybe we have a chance of brining some people out of homelessness permanently,” said Culbreath.
He said he has come across some critical factors that can determine if a person can be lifted out of homelessness with the resources available in the community.
“I would say it is a person that has absolutely gotten to the point where they hate homelessness,” said Culbreath. “More than anything else in the material world, that want a home, and they will do anything legal to move into a home.”
He said the person needs to have an income stream or be willing to work and the ability and willingness to learn to be a responsible citizen.
He also said it is important for the homeless person to have some flexibility in location.
“We’ve had a number of people that we had places for, but they were not willing to move into another community.
He said the first step for people who are homeless is to get free from legal problems, addictions, and bad thinking.
Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.
