Will mental health ever get better in Portland?

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 "Oregon has less than one-tenth of the state hospital beds for mentally ill patients compared to the 1950's"- Neil Rotman

The short answer is: we have a long way to go. For years now, Oregon has put every little effort into addressing the mental health situation. Neglect and deinstitutionalization of mental health programs by lawmakers in  not just Oregon but all over the nation have made it a challenge to  take care of all the people who need help for their mental health. In an article by the Salem Reporter Neil Rotman, an interim deputy director for Multnomah County's mental health and addiction services division states: "Oregon has  less than one-tenth of state hospital beds for mentally ill patients compared to the 1950's yet the demand for it has only increased".

People with mental illness are more likely to experience social stigma and isolation which then can lead to being pushed to homelessness. This fact is highlighted by a survey stating that nearly 40% of the homeless population experiences mental illness; far and above any other social group. People who struggle to to take care of their mental health tend to have a harder time finding and keeping employment. They struggle finding an available service that will help them in this current landscape. But with very little help available, both psychically and cost-wise, most people can not get treatment. Especially when inflation is at such a high, individuals who must focus on getting enough food, water and shelter usually put health at the bottom of the priority list. 

With such a disproportionate number of mentally ill people on the streets, a communal stigma can be created, thinking that all homeless people hopeless mentally ill people. It can also be easy to believe that these people choose this life for themselves. Nobody chooses a life of always looking for food and shelter. It doesn't have to be this way, decades of neglect have caused this outcome. The only way for Portland to get better is with careful care taken to those who suffer in the dark. Portland can come together and heal. Some groups have already taken initiative in in this effort such as: Portland Street Medicine and Blanchet House are trying to change the streets of Portland for the better. Offering support and services for those in need. 

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