Street roots
June 10, 2011
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The views expressed in the editorials in Street Roots are the consensus of
members of the editorial board and contributing volunteers.
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interactions between
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DIRECTOR'S coffee, or a lunch at
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DESK
Possibly it’s reading
By Israel Bayer
the newspaper and
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article or city politics.
It could be something as simple as saying
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B
I
STREET ROOTS’ EDITORIAL BOARD
U
Hop on the bus with Street Roots
TBI research another tool in
addressing homelessness
n this edition, we run our second of three installments
on traumatic brian injury, or TBI. In the first
installment (All in their heads, May 27) Street Roots
ran an in-depth feature piece introducing the' subject, and
Nick Patton, a formerly homeless Portlander who was
misdiagnosed with schizophrenia for seven years when he
was really having seizures from TBI that happened earlier
in his life.
On page 3 of this edition we highlight why diagnosing
TBI on the streets matters, in more ways than one. We
introduce another individual affected by TBI, Jamie Smith,
a veteran who lost his job,
h
h
h
i m
h
h
ran out of money, and
eventually became homeless.
The outcomes could be
Six years later he has finally
significant, even if we
won his Social Security
collectively are still at
Disability claim with the
an elementary stage of
help of a local non-profit,
understanding the
Central City Concern, and
problem.
the law firm Swanson,
Thomas and Coon.
Both Nick Patton and
Jamie Smith now have homes, and are productive members
of society. But that’s not the case for many people
experiencing homelessness who may be being
misdiagnosed medically, or not receiving the disability
assistance they both qualify for and deserve.
SR has talked to many doctors, medical professionals,
health departm ent representatives, researchers^ attorneys
representing cases on brain injuries, along with social
sendee workers who all believe that the TBI is not only a
'cause for concern, but may make up a significant portion
of the homeless population.
“Being able to recognize that there is a true disability as g
opposed to willful noncooperation is helpful, and worth
investigating,” said by Dr. Stephen Hwang.
Yet, as Portland Attorney Cheryl Coon told SR, the
question remains: “Whose keeping track of TBI? Nobody.”
That’s a problem.
From talking to some experts in the field, it appears that
there is a slight caution, or resistance when talking about
how to move forward in Portland concerning brain trauma
and homelessness. With a lack of understanding of the
issue at multiple systems levels, coupled with the lack of
practical resources in the health care field, and the lack of
revenue with both government and non-profits working
with people, it’s understandable that the answers to TBI
on the streets, and the solutions involved seem
overwhelming.
SR will be continuing its coverage on TBI in future
editions, including looking at a roadmap of how other
communities are moving forward. In cities where studies
have already been done, the rate of people with TBI on the
streets was through the roof. We will look at how those
cities paid for such studies, and what they are doing today
to incorporate their findings into different systems. The
outcomes could be significant, even if we collectively are
still at an elementary stage of understanding the problem.
For example, research locally could help hundreds,
possibly thousands of disability claims to move forward. It
could also revolutionize the way we think about treating
people on the streets, both medically and from a human
perspective.
Not to put the cart before the horse, but SR is hoping to
build a case for local government and foundations working
in the health care field to look further into the matter. We
know from working with the medical examiners office and
local government on homeless deaths, that there are now
new ways to think about identifying systemic problems in
the work to end homelessness. There’s no reason to think
that we can’t add another tool, in this case, possibly a
major tool in that fight.
Stay tuned.
j x
Isra el B ay er is the
executive director o f
StreetR oots.Y ou c a n
reach h im a t
streetroois@ hotm ail.com .
our Facebook page. If you have friends or
family who take the time to read the
national news, or possibly the Oregonian,
suggest to them that they pick up a S R Buy
an extra copy of the newspaper to leave in
your break room at work, or at a friend’s
house. Together, we can make a difference
— a real difference.
SR is On a roll right now. The newspaper
finds itself with a healthy mix of in-depth
investigative journalism, thought provoking
human-interest stories and regular columns
by diverse voices connected to poverty.
Where else in the city can you find
someone making an articulate argument for
the legalization of drugs, a police Officer,
business owners, a celebrity, anarchists,
people on the streets, health officials and a
city comnaissioner all co-existing through
print under the same banner? It’s thought
provoking.
To steal a phrase from the Bus Project,
SR has grown into an organization that
believes if you’re touching poverty in one
form or another, we want you on the bus.
Help us spread the word about Street
Roots and join the team.
LETTERS
People of Portland leave a mark with genuine kindness
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
Street Roots
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to submit letters and
columns for
publication. Send
letters to the editor
to the Street Roots
office, 211 NW Davis
St., Portland, OR
97209, or e-mailed
to streetrootsnews®
gmail.com.
esterday at the Max stop at NW First
and DavisStreets, I pulled some cash
out of my pocket to buy a ticket.
Suddenly an unexpected gust of wind
grabbed my bills and blew them up the
street along the train tracks and over the
streets. As I raced after my cash, just
missing each hill as the wind blew it further
and further from my reach, I heard laughter
from bystanders. Then, from nowhere, a
wonderful man was extending his arm,
handing me a five and a couple of ones. “I
didn’t think you’d want to lose these,” he
said. As I thanked him profusely, he asked if
I wanted to purchase one of the Street
Roots he was selling. Happily I purchased
this very informative paper from him,
because now I had enough cash for the
paper and the train ride.
Then fromiicross the street another
young man walked over and handed me my
twenty dollar bill and a one. I returned to
the Max stop and as I wais purchasing my
ticket, yet another man walked over and
gave me the last of the bills that had blown
away. I completed my transaction and got
on the Max in a state of euphoria brought
on by the helpfulness and genuine kindness
■
of the people in Portland. As a visitor to
this city I will be forever impressed by your
great citizens.
And, I like your newspaper, as well. I t is
interesting and informative about the issues
and causes of hdtnelessness.
NANCY A, MURPHY
Denver, Cote.
Commons' prompts
questions about housing
I recently had the opportunity to tour the
new Bud Clark Commons building (formerly
known as the RAC - Resource Access
Center). My concerns were: (1) will drug
addicted folks be living next door to those
who are not? and (2) if a person does not
suffer from mental illness, addiction, or
poor health (besides being homeless) then
they would not qualify for housing. I did
applaud the fact that the new building, will
house access to some medical services, but
was unsure how law enforcement would be
playing a role, if any, at the site (the new
building actually houses three separate
planned programs to assist thé homeless).
MARTHA PEREZ
Portland
T h e O p ia te W a r
By Ross Robbins
I have called a ceasefire
An end to the shooting
Hollow-point heroin bullets
fly no more
Numb me no longer;
H a ik u
I’ve waved the white flag of surrender.
Needle cannons stilled,
Syringe caps as grenade pins
No longer held in teeth.
The sun
perishes |
into
The holocaust of wind
To save •-
the leaves.
By Kareem Ali jp
»
I am calling for peace.
An end to this war on self
Time to withdraw the needle
and squirt this shot to the d irt
Time to withdraw the needle
Squirt this shot into the dirt.