Back to the Mental Illness Question
Day 35: Walking in the shoes of the homeless and unemployed
My Case Advocate stopped me in the lobby today and said, “They asked me to redo some forms because ‘they’ lost them. The intake forms.”
The Case Advocate completed the forms using the same dates and information I had given her during the
original intake. When she came to the question about mental illness, she asked me again. I again said that I did not have any mental illness.
This time, the Case Advocate marked “No” on the forms.
Quite Convenient... and Curious
I find the suddenly “lost” intake forms to be quite convenient and curious given that I now have a meeting scheduled for December 6th (in four days) with Bud Cicilline and another leader in Newport to discuss the Bill of Rights for the Homeless.
The entire state of Rhode Island is about the size of Houston. That is to say the community of nonprofits and advocates serving individuals experiencing homelessness is quite small. Though I have no proof, it would appear that my name, my actions, this very publicly published blog, and my advocacy are causing a stir beyond the frontline staff of the shelter and into the ranks of the decision-makers.
Copyright © 2010 Sapphire Jule King and International Freedom Coalition