With chilly temperatures and snowfall for Flagstaff, it’s hard to imagine how our homeless are managing. Our close-knit rural communities are also faced with a sharp rise in teen suicides and the toll of fentanyl on our youth.
So how do we tackle these mental health, substance use and financial hardship issues so many of our loved ones and neighbors are dealing with? Nearly 2,000 diverse Arizonans have been doing just that for many months and we’ve developed a way to chart a better path for our future
This includes residents of Flagstaff and surrounding areas who joined people from communities across the state for Arizona Town Hall’s 60th year of convening people to take on big and seemingly insurmountable issues. After reading a specially prepared background report on the latest topic of mental health, substance use and homelessness, discussions vacillated between heartbreaking personal stories and inspiring revelations. The combined results of these discussions provide a roadmap of recommended actions for helping those in the throes of these challenges and preventing the same fate for those who are just one crisis away from falling into the same situation.
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The combined results from gatherings around the state were surprisingly consistent with the conclusions and recommendations from our local sessions.
First was the conclusion that it’s important to address mental health, substance use and homelessness together. While not always connected, these conditions are interrelated with one condition often leading to the other in a vicious cycle.
Confronting stigma repeatedly rose to the top as a major impediment to effective solutions. Almost every family has some connection to a person experiencing one or more of the three issues. Yet, stigma and shame keep people from seeking, accepting, or obtaining support which can start a downward spiral both for the individual and their families. Early education in our schools and communications to the broader community can help break down misperceptions and isolation.
Efforts like the Flagstaff-based NARBHA Institute’s groundbreaking short film, “The Man in the Dog Park” are vital to breaking down the stigmas that surround homelessness. Working together, we can reframe how these issues are addressed so that we take a more humanitarian and helpful approach.
Where resources are limited, the consensus suggests prevention should be prioritized. Prevention includes destigmatizing and decriminalizing addiction so that people will seek services earlier. It also includes expanding access to treatment facilities for those with mental health and addiction challenges and expanding prevention and intervention services within the criminal justice system.
Many expressed deep frustration with the lack of coordination and collaboration between government, service providers, and community organizations. Rural communities feel they could have greater impact if they were given more flexibility on how to use government resources. Meanwhile, those experiencing mental health or substance use challenges often have trouble navigating what is typically a complex and decentralized system, a challenge exacerbated in areas with limited public transportation. Imagine having to maneuver toward services on a good day, let alone a challenging one.
Ideally, service providers would be consolidated into single locations or systems throughout the state that provide coordinated services. Such an approach would reduce logistical challenges and create incentives for collaborative approaches.
These key points barely highlight the thoughtful discussions and suggested changes to policies and systems change. Importantly, participants also committed to individual actions. Some committed to take action to create recommended systems change while others committed to actions as simple and powerful as “treat every person with respect and show kindness, empathy, and sympathy.”
As the headlines consistently remind us of these immense challenges, let the recommendations reached through consensus from Arizonans inspire you. Together, we can make a difference.
Shawn Nau is the CEO of BCBSAZ-Health Choice Arizona.
To find the complete recommendation report and see how your company, organization or governing entity can make changes on these critical issues, go to aztownhall.org and click on engage.
Efforts like the Flagstaff-based NARBHA Institute’s groundbreaking short film, “The Man in the Dog Park” are vital to breaking down the stigmas that surround homelessness. Working together, we can reframe how these issues are addressed so that we take a more humanitarian and helpful approach.
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