WHEREAS:

Some 250,000 Americans who suffer from various forms of serious mental illness are believed to be living on the streets of this nation; and

WHEREAS:

Homelessness of persons who are mentally ill has reached crisis proportions and is a major public policy issue at both the federal and state level; and

WHEREAS:

No comprehensive legislation has been passed at any level to provide for the health care treatment needs of homeless persons, to provide them with a safe haven or to meet their basic needs for food and clothing; and

WHEREAS:

The state has the legal and moral responsibility for caring for homeless persons, but continually adds to the problem by discharging large numbers of persons from state psychiatric hospitals to ill-prepared communities.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME call upon the federal, state, and local governments to reaffirm their responsibility for homeless persons who are mentally ill and work together to provide them food, shelter, treatment, training and employment programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will work with advocacy groups in urging Congress to pass the Homeless Person Survival Act and the Urgent Relief Act and to provide state and local governments the funding for housing, social service, and disability programs targeted to provide services to homeless persons; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME urge state governments to correct the damage caused by previous deinstitutionalization policies by directly providing mental health treatment both in hospitals and through state-operated community-based programs and by also providing housing and support services to mentally ill homeless persons.

SUBMITTED BY:

Ronald C. Alexander, President
Ronald K. Rhonomus, Secretary-Treasurer
OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11
Columbus, Ohio