I have a neighbor,

She sometimes runs around the apartment building naked and pulls fire alarms, one time after a very long day I came home to find her naked in front of my door. She told me that she was being beaten. I called the police got her a hot chocolate and we waited together in the hallway for the police to come, when they arrived I spoke  with them briefly explaining what happened, the police officer mentioned that they had dealt with her before.  This got me thinking, clearly she was not getting the care she needed and for what ever reason the police were unable to get her help. I called my mom. My mother got me the number for a crisis hotline I called that I got transferred…. 

I got transferred 6 times, each time explaining the situation of my neighbor and my desire to get her some help. I finally got a person who’s job it is to help adult woman with a mental health status who are being abused I explained everything I could thanked them and hung up. I still see my neighbor around the apartments I have no idea if anyone has come to check in on her.

I have a client,

They have a lot of difficulty with hoarding, They have a lot of physical issues that make it hard for them to pick things up off the floor, they have mental health issues that make it even harder to be motivated to pick things up off the floor.  When I first came to their apartment I discovered their bed had collapsed and they were unable to fix it and had been sleeping on the now much distorted mattress laying on the boxes that were under the bed. With limited mobility, funds, transport, and mental reserves they have been unable to take the two bus transfers required to get into the building to get a social worker.  I googled who I should call, I dialed and got transferred…

I got transferred 5 more times. I have most recently left a voicemail on someones machine letting them know that I am calling on behalf of a limited mobility individual who requires a social worker to make a house call.

I find it so frustrating that the safety nets put in place to help and protect these people are so incredibly difficult for them to access. I don’t know what the solution is. I don’t know how to fix this. I have no idea how this system is set up.

I’m just a person doing what I can to help someone in need.

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