Friday, November 25, 2011

Higher Level of Care

As a chaplain at First United Church, I have gained a voice with the leadership and staff. I have never met a group of people so willing to give of themselves to those who have been marginalized from mainline society. The dislocation of homelessness generally  results from poverty, addiction, and mental health problems.

As a member of the "Research and Policy" Committee I am an advocate for a Higher Level of Care for the residents.  By that I mean evolving beyond primarily providing meals and lodging to more active  intervention and treatment of addiction and mental health issues. The staff already assists in so many other ways, for example this year they are helping 3400 DTES residents file income tax returns.

Of course this would require major adjustments in space and funding. The bold and future plans shown in this architectural drawing would allow a higher level of care if actualized. However like the US, Canada is  finding it increasingly more difficult to fund mental health and addiction treatment. I am so grateful for those who are supporting me in this venture.

For now, one pragmatic possibility would be modeling approaches from the Recovery Cafe in Seattle WA.  My good friend Craig Burmeister (from Roseburg) and I tried to visit today, but it was closed for the Thanksgiving weekend. I will be visiting in the near future and will share my experience here when I do.

I hope all my American friends are having a wonderful Thanksgiving season. I was in Canada at a workshop with Gabor Mate, author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. What an opportunity with only 50 others attending allowing a high level of interaction.


I appreciate your thoughts and prayers!
Ross

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Workshops Update

I just completed the second workshop in the area of Washington where I am now living. It was a smaller group which encouraged a high level of interaction. The group wants to meet again to further expand their knowledge of addiction and recovery.  They began to consider becoming a recovery community interested in helping their local churches deal with addiction. We are going to regather in the near future to consider just what this would look like and what would be the involvement. I will also be contacting those who attended the first workshop I conducted here. This combined group will also help create interest in others in local churches to attend future workshops.

While most of you will be having Thanksgiving next week, I will be in Vancouver BC attending a workshop with Dr. Gabor Mate, author of In The Spirit of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. It was reading this book that began my interest and eventual involvement in DTES. It will be an opportunity to  interact with him personally as the workshop is just for First United Church. A couple of his videos can be seen on this blog by scrolling down on Dislocation.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Ross

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Recent Newspaper Article


"First United Church at Hastings and Gore in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is not your typical comfortable-pew, middle-class church. In fact it doesn’t have pews or any notion of catering to the middle classes.

Compared to most churches, First United has a decidedly different take on its mission. First United works with street people. It turns no one away and is the refuge of last resort for the most marginalized on the Downtown Vancouver Eastside.

It is not a pleasant place. Most of those seeking help have serious mental-health or addiction issues or both. What was once the Church sanctuary is now stacked with bunk beds. People seeking shelter and refuge come and go with no questions asked. Meals are provided as well as other support services.

I’ve visited the Church a few times and I never fail to come away with the utmost awe and respect for those who work and volunteer at First United. They work under the most trying conditions. Kudos as well to the United Church of Canada; instead of walking away from one of Vancouver’s most troubled and desperate neighborhoods, it dedicated its property to helping Vancouver’s poorest, then rolled up its sleeves and went to work helping those who have no place left to turn." 
(Bruce Stracham, The Prince George Citizen, 11-10-11)