Housing First

There are many types of therapy that can be applied to a population to decrease the side effects of stress within the community. Living in poverty, going through trauma, and lacking access to resources can cause people to have mental health issues that need to be corrected by treatment that is effective and works. Many treatments handle the issues people are experiencing with actions that do not relate to the lives they need to live to get through their next adverse experience. Horticulture therapy has been used in this area for decades. There have been many times that this community has come together over land to churn soil and grow  plants. Growing crops has brought cultures together since the founding of the nation. 

Gardening and growing food is an easy task that all cultures know. You can convey what soil means, you can convert what water means, you can learn the model of the nation that trades services for goods all through the act of farming. Occupational therapy utilizes tasks to achieve goals that get people back into lives and pursuing the American Dream. Occupational therapy helps people navigate the stress and pain of transitioning their life. It is a helpful tool for teaching new behaviors to people assimilating into the nation, as well as helping people get through adversity. Occupational therapy is the act of taking the time to model a behavior and help the observer understand how to effectively repeat the action. Putting people into work helps them heal more than anything else. 

Right now many communities are utilizing the Housing First Initiative to gain access to funds to build more housing. The issue with this initiative is that the funds are available because the organizations funding the initiative desire to prove that their way of addressing adversity is better. What this initiative has done is stopped all progress the communities utilizing it have made in helping individuals redesign their lives after trauma, and it puts the individuals onto a track that is designed to make them completely dependent on government for the rest of their life. While some may believe that trying this model out is acceptable, it actually takes away participants chances at prevailing through the adversity that knocked them over in the first place. The Housing First Initiative keeps people from practicing the tasks they need to do in order to function in society, which increases anxiety and feelings of negative self-worth. 

If you live in a town that is practicing the Housing First Initiative, so that politicians can say they did it, you can go around the obstacle course by managing your own finances and working jobs that fit your life. If you are disabled and completely dependent on government resources you need to make sure you stay on top of your bill payment in order to not end up in bad situations living on the streets waiting in the Housing First line. The people within the homeless population that are waiting for full subsidized living are enduring experiences that they should not have to endure. To learn more about how to navigate around political platforms contact your local job services office.