Call & Post 3 part series

1. VVOL. 92 NO.2-34POL. 92 NO.2-34PAGESAGESJanuarJanuary 9, 2007 - January 9, 2007 - January 15, 2008y 15, 2008 CLEVELAND EDITIONCLEVELAND EDITION The People’s Paper Copyright© 2008, King Media Enterprises, Inc. -216-791-7600Copyright© 2008, King Media Enterprises, Inc. -216-791-7600111800 Shaker1800 Shaker Blvd. Cleveland, Ohio 44120Blvd. Cleveland, Ohio 44120 By Dr. JEFFREY PERKINS Contributing Writer Local news media reporters have recently reported a rash of troubling encounters between the mentally challenged homeless and the general public in downtown Cleveland and sur- rounding areas. The reports are frightening, such as the one of a young Black male who boards an RTA bus and throws a vial of acid into the face of a lovely young Black female. While both are strangers, unbe- knownst to the lovely young lady is her assailant’s history of serious mental illness. A White male shoots and kills a veteran Cleveland Heights police officer. Recently released from prison, the gun- man, hearing voices, had stopped taking his prescribed psychotic medication. In a public housing project, a young Black woman stabs her two young daughters and drowns them in the bathtub. The woman was reported to be suffering severe post-partum depression. On downtown streets with names like Euclid, Superior and St. Clair, people who are homeless and mentally challenged are visible daily. They can be seen at bus shelters, public libraries and on street corners. While they wander the streets and nestle in downtown public places, their abnormal behav- iors allow us to separate the mentally-challenged homeless from the traditional homeless, who also wander the streets of downtown and nestle in public places. In September 2007, the Call & Post began a three month investigation of what appears to be the ever-growing presence of the mentally challenged downtown. Our investigation includes at least 20 hours of taped interviews with local mental health experts, advo- cates for mental health, man- agers of mental health outpatient facilities and community drop-in centers, and representa- tives of public safety and the judicial system. We now pres- ent to the public the results of our investigation in a three part series. Part I describes who the homeless and mentally challenged are in the downtown area. They are identified as having needs distinct from the traditional homeless and homeless substance abusers who are also found in large numbers in the downtown area. Part two examines where they come from and why so many are here. Part three presents what mental health policy makers are doing to help them and what concerned citizens can do. However, before identifying the homeless and mentally challenged, let us first revisit the acclaimed 1970 best selling book, “Future Shock” by Alvin Toffler, renowned futurist/sociologist. Let us examine if what he forecasted in 1970 may provide insight into our description of the disproportionately rising numbers of homeless and mentally-challenged people, especially Black people, in the city of Cleveland. In 1970, Toffler predicted within the next few decades many individuals will suffer “Future Shock” as a consequence of their (SEE SHOCK/PAGE 6C) Coping With Mental Illness Part I: Downtown’s highly visible homeless – who are they, really? By GILBERT PRICE Senior Editor Well, let’s forget about “inevitability.” In the afterglow of his earth- shattering victory in the Iowa caucuses, when freshman Illinois Sen. Barack Obama polled 39 percent of the vote to John Edwards’ 30 percent and Hillary Clinton’s 29 percent, Obama told his cheering audi- ence, “the improbable has defeated what Washington said was inevitable,” meaning the coronation of Clinton as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Now, it seems that Obama has the momentum. He has been running strongly in New Hampshire (the New Hampshire primary was held Tuesday night after The CALL & POST went to press), and he is viewed as being a strong contender to win the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primary on Jan. 29. State Sen. Eric Kearney, D- Cincinnati, a longtime Obama supporter and a regional director of his campaign, said that the Iowa victory rips up the argument that somehow Obama is not truly an “electable” candidate. “I think that it shows that Barack has a much wider acceptance than people thought,” Kearney said. “It sends a clear message that he is a contender.” But what will Obama’s victory mean for the Ohio primary, which will be held on March 4? There is some differences of opinion on that. Kearney, focusing on the positive, said, “I believe Ohio is in play” for the primary season. He noted that Obama was the first candidate to file for the Ohio primary, and Obama rec- ognizes the significance of the state – particularly in the general election. But U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Cleveland, a national co-chair of the Clinton campaign, while congratulating Obama on his victory in Iowa, still believes that Ohio is unlike- ly to play a major role in select- ing the party’s nominee – even with the uncertainty that Obama’s Iowa victory had created. “By the time the Ohio primary gets here, who the nominee will be will be decided,” Tubbs Jones said. Tubbs Jones believes Ohio’s strength will be demonstrated in the general election. “Whether it’s Barack or Hillary, we’ll be able to decide who will be elected in November.” The reality facing Obama, Clinton and Edwards – who combined received almost 98 percent of the Iowa Caucus vote (SEE OBAMA/PAGE 2A) Free dental The dental clinic at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine will offer adults a free dental exam, teeth cleaning and X-rays on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is organized by the dental school’s student council as an annual community service project. No appointment is needed, and walk-ins will be accepted until 12:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Appointments last one to two hours, depending upon services needed. Selected patients may be invited to par- ticipate in additional free dental care. Other participants will receive $10 off the admitting fee for anyone who wishes to become a dental clinic patient and receive follow-up care after the free dental exam. The dental students will show movies while patients wait. The dental clinic is located on Cornell Road at the Emergency Drive at University Hospitals of Cleveland, two blocks south of Euclid Avenue. Call (216) 368-3570 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. Probate candidate Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lillian Greene will hold an evening fundraiser on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Damiano’s, 75 Public Square, in downtown Cleveland for her campaign for Probate Court. The Democrat graduated from Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1976. Cost is $50 per person, with a maximum of $500, and $3,000. Call (216) 381-3708. What will Obama victory mean for Ohio primary? Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, left, and Sasha, after winning the Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses, Thursday, Jan. 3, in Des Moines, Iowa. (STAFF PHOTO BY J. DARWIN HOLLINGSWORTH II) Appointment part of new direction in crime fighting for 2008 By RUSSELL WALKER Staff Reporter Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has appointed Edward J. Tomba as the new deputy chief of the Cleveland Police Department. Tomba, who headed the department’s bureau of special investigation, replaces former Deputy Chief Lester Fults, who was recently tapped to become the Cleveland Municipal School District’s chief of safety and security. Tomba is a 22-year Cleveland Police veteran who has held a number of positions within the department, including Third District commander and executive assistant to the chief of police. Jackson described Tomba’s law enforcement background as “extensive.” According to Jackson, fill- ing the deputy chief slot was the first step in his overall goal of shifting the city’s focus on how it fights crime in 2008. When he first came into office in 2006, Jackson’s stated goal as far as city safety went was increasing the efficiency of the Cleveland Police department through a series of internal changes and bridge the rift between residents and police. This year, Jackson said the goal now is to stop the rampant violence in the city caused by the continued influx of drugs and guns. “We’re putting forth a con- certed effort to stop drugs com- ing into the city of Cleveland, dealing with the organized crime activity that bring drugs into Cleveland, dealing with gang activity in the neighborhoods and doing heavy gun sup- pression,” said Jackson. Although overall crime in the city was down in 2007, the city’s murder rate hit a 15-year high of 134 homicides by the end of the year. According to police figures, a majority of those murders were gun related. Last year, Cleveland police confiscated 1,100 firearms. In response to the number of firearms that wind up on the street, Jackson said that police, with the help of federal law enforcement agencies, will be intensifying their gun-suppres- sion activities in the neighborhoods by cracking down on those using them. “Every gun confiscated in the commission of a crime will be traced back to where it was bought and who bought it,” said Jackson. “We’re going to be looking at who we call ‘straw purchasers’ – people who buy guns for people who cannot buy them legally or they buy guns (SEE MAYOR/PAGE 2A) Mayor picks new deputy police chief By RUSSELL WALKER Staff Reporter Police have arrested three Cleveland juveniles in connec- tion with the New Year’s Eve assault of a Shaker Heights man out for a walk. The teens, Jerome Edwards, 17, Brandon Goodwin, 16, and an unidentified 14-year-old, are accused of viciously beating 53- year-old Kevin McDermott. They were arrested by Shaker Heights police Saturday, according to acting Police Chief Scott Lee. All three teens were arraigned Monday morning in Juvenile Court and remanded to the county juvenile detention center by Judge Thomas O’Malley on charges of aggra- vated robbery and felonious assault. They denied the charges against them. According to Lee, police continue to investigate the inci- dent and expect to make more arrests. “We are continuing to actively investigate further leads and following up on possible other suspects,” said Lee. According to authorities, the teens were part of a group of about seven other juveniles who allegedly attacked McDermott, a private-practice lawyer, around 6:30 p.m. as he was walking along East 146th and (SEE TEENS/PAGE 2A) Teens arrested in beating of Shaker Heights man H uron Hospital welcomed David Seales-Couch as its first baby of 2008. Little David weighed in at 7 pounds and 2 ounces at 7:04 a.m., on Jan. 1. Showing off the precious infant is his mother, Tracy Scales. 2008 First Born A homeless woman finds rest on a bench in donwtown Cleveland. (STAFF PHOTO BY MYCHAL LILLY) This Week CP2 is inside featuring the Iowa Caucuses 1A-1-9-08.qxd 1/8/2008 6:09 PM Page 1

2. PAGE 6C/THE CALL AND POST/WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2008 From Page 1A inability to quickly adapt to sud- den accelerated change caused by rapid shifts from a manufacturing culture to an information, high-tech culture. The inability to adapt to change too rapidly will cause many to suffer mental stress by having to make too many unexpected decisions. Future Shock, Toffler warned, will likely be the result of numerous persons diagnosed with unprecedented physical and mental health-related illnesses by the new millennium. One example of what may be a cause of Future Shock in Greater Clevelanders is the recent shift in favor of outsourc- ing American jobs to countries overseas. According to Policy Matters, 44,000 manufacturing jobs alone were lost in Greater Cleveland from November 1999 to November 2003. In turn, unprecedented family disintegration due to loss of so many jobs may have been a consequence causing Future Shock mental health-related illnesses. Hopelessness and low self-esteem, perhaps due to job- lessness, may have also con- tributed to so many adults abus- ing chemical and alcohol sub- stances to cope with realities of a society passing them by at super-sonic speed. Thus, many of their children who enter the foster care system, are diagnosed with anxiety disorders and emotional depression, and consequently need prescribed pharmaceutical drugs. Mental health-related symptoms associated with Future Shock also may be due to the inability of Black leadership to solve many of the structural economic new problems facing Black Clevelanders since the millennium. Their failure may be the cause of too many Black residents succumbing to widespread suspicion and mistrust of role model institutions – like religious, political, education and family institutions. Looking for further evidence of Future Shock leads us to con- sider recent shocks to the social security of the underclass poor in Cleveland. We conclude that a major shock, perhaps, is the abrupt dismantling of the welfare “social safety net” programs, which may have caused a lot of psychological uncertainty in the wake of so many individuals unable to meet basic human needs. Did Black city residents disproportionately suffer mental disorders due to stress often associated with worrying about what’s going to happen once they lose much needed public assistance? Did competition over limited available low-wage jobs (without medical benefits) contribute to their disproportionate mental disorders often associated with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorder? According to Dr. Steve Friedman, executive director of Mental Health Services, “Mental health-related illnesses may be diagnosed in two distinct categories: 1) medical biological, and 2) other mental health problems. Medical Biological is defined as neurological disorders caused by schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorder.” Schizophrenia is a severe brain disease causing hallucina- tions, delusions and paranoia. Schizoaffective is psychotic symptoms in the absence of mood changes. Bipolar disorder is extreme mood changes from very high energy to extreme lows of depression. “Other mental health problems may be caused by too much psychological stress often associated with domestic violence, the loss of employment and substance abuse,” Friedman said. “They affect the individ- ual’s state of mind even though they are non-neurological dis- eases.” Having defined Future Shock and its consequences as a possible explanation for so many people with mental health issues, we now turn to describ- ing who those people are in the city and county. Homelessness accompanied by mental health problems is a countywide problem. Carolyn Nabakowski of the Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services provided “Point-in- Time” information that classi- fies homelessness by three par- ticular groups when seeking federal aid for continuing their care: 1) Severe Mental Illness (SMI), 2) Chronic Substance Abuse (CSA) and 3) Chronic Homelessness. Regarding substance abuse and associated homelessness, CSA alone made up 50 percent of all county homelessness in 2007. SMI and Chronic Homeless made up the remaining 50 percent. Headquartered in downtown Cleveland, MHS keeps public records of all registered clients receiving mental health services. Figure 1, “Percent of Clients by Race 2006,” shows that Black clients alone make up 51 percent of all clients in need of MHS treatment for mental health services. This is followed by Whites at 46 percent, Asians, 2 percent, Latinos, 1 percent, and Native Americans, 1 percent. The disproportionate number of Blacks in need of mental health services is equally disturbing when Black males are compared to Black females. In 2007, Black males to females made up 53 percent of MHS total client population at an average 32 to 35 years of age. In 2004, Black females made up 44 percent of all clients. However, in 2007, their client population was 46 percent, which suggests the gap between rising high rates of Black females is closely nar- rowing high client rates of Black males. In 2007, Black females averaged 32 years of age (up from 29 in 2004). Figures 2 and 3, “MHS Clients Needing Homeless Assistance Programs” and “MHS Clients Needing Crisis/Trauma Intervention Programs” 2004-2007, identify the need for services to help the mentally challenged and homeless. For homeless assistance, the need for services such as case management, outreach and emergency shelter has steadily grown since 2004. But what is disturbing is the increase in the need for crisis and trauma intervention programs, which have also steadily grown. In 2007, the need for a “Children Who Witness Violence” program was up by 89 percent since 2004; the need for an adult mobile crisis team increased by 92 percent. Community gang violence, domestic violence and family disintegration helps to create a widespread need for a “Children Who Witness Violence” program. Moreover, information provided by the Cuyahoga County Board of Health shows that suicide is a growing problem for children suffering poor mental health. From 1999 to 2007, the average age of children in Cleveland and surround- ing suburbs who committed suicide was 14, on a scale of 11 to 17 years of age. Black children make up 12 percent of all reported suicides and White children make up 22 percent. When comparing same- race males to females, young Black males are reported more likely to commit suicide, 24 percent higher than young Black females. The high rate of young Black males killing themselves is unprecedented in the history of Black youth in the city. Regardless of which mentally-challenged group we identify downtown, i.e., children or adults, former Public Safety Director William L. Denihan, CEO Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board, speaks about public safety. “Contrary to isolated acts of violence involving the mentally ill in downtown, overall the public is not in danger,” said Denihan. “People with mental illness will commit crimes to get arrested as one way of getting out of the cold.” He also discussed how they are more likely to be victims of crime instead of the average downtown citizen. “Women suffering mental issues are more likely to be raped and males robbed because they have difficulty identifying suspects and filing police reports,” he said. In part two of this report I’ll explain why so many of the mentally challenged and homeless are downtown and we show where they come from. Dr. Jeffrey Perkins, Jr., has a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a research investigator and part- time staff member at Myers University. For responses to this report please e-mail jperkins@myers.edu. Coping With Mental Illness Part I: Downtown’s highly visible homeless – who are they, really? One of the hundreds of homeless persons who walk the streets of downtown Cleveland looking for a place to help keep them warm. der it started sprinkling, then raining, then snowing like crazy. At a point the blizzard got so bad, I finally had to pull over ad get a hotel over night. The next morning I finally got to Chicago to pick up my 16-year-old, Jamel, who was riding shotgun with me for the journey into history. When leaving Chicago, I missed one turn. It took me two hours to get back on track. In effect, a trip that usually takes 10 hours took more than a dog-gone day. At the end of the process, however, when I finally made it to the Barack Obama victory rally in Des Moines, they moved me past hundreds of other reporters and photographers right in front of Obama for that masterful victory speech next to photographers from some of the leading newspapers in the coun- try. All this because I was deter- mined to get there and get it done. I guess all this means that in 2008 I am resolved to be highly productive through relationships that are, themselves, wonderful experiences for myself and others, by intentionally maximizing those relationships with great determination to get outstanding results. And that’s how it is … according to James. Contact Hollingsworth at (216) 791-7600, ext. 240, at religion@call-post.com or blog him at according2james.blogspot.com. Three From Page 5B 6CCle1-9-08.qxd 1/8/2008 1:41 PM Page 1

3. In Part I of Dr. Perkins’ series, which ran in the Jan. 9, issue of the Call & Post, the recently released, mentally challenged ex-offender in Cleveland Heights who allegedly stopped taking his psychotic medication and was hearing voices, and consequently shot and killed a veteran Cleveland Heights police officer, was a Black male. He was misidentified as a White male in Part I of the series. PAGE 6B/THE CALL AND POST/WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008 By Dr. JEFFREY PERKINS Jr. Contributing Writer Part I of our special report described who the mentally challenged and homeless are that we see so often downtown. Our observations were discussed in the context of “Future Shock,” a concept coined in 1970 by futurist/sociologist Alvin Toffler. It was in 1970 that he predicted many people would not adapt to the accelerated change as our society rapidly went from a manufacturing to a high-tech information society. He believed that their failure to adapt would result in many being diagnosed with physical and mental illness related problems. Our research shows that since 2000 the Black poor in the city of Cleveland are likely candidates for Future Shock with so many being diagnosed with mental health problems often associated to mental stress due to long-term unemployment, lack of marketable skills, substance abuse, family disintegration and run-ins with the law. Where help is available, Part II will identify the locations of downtown homeless facilities, substance abuse counseling facilities, and facilities providing free breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also illustrates the proximity of these facilities to Public Square. Facilities that provide housing shelter to the homeless can be described by two major types, emergency shelters and transitional housing. For example, Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries operates a men’s emergency shelter located at 2100 Lakeside providing 350 beds to homeless adult males. Mental Health Services provides homeless females a 180- bed emergency shelter located at East 22nd and Payne Avenue; MHS also provides a 50-bed emergency shelter for disabled men located at 1710 Payne Ave. The newly-renovated North Point Transitional Housing Center was recently opened to provide double occupancy transitional housing of 160 beds to working homeless men. North Point’s located at 1550 Superior Ave. The Salvation Army Harbor Light Complex provides three transitional housing programs. The Pass program has 75 beds located at 1710 Prospect Ave.; the Share program has 32 beds located at 22nd and Community College; and at Railton House, there are 56 beds located at 6001 Woodland Ave. Also, Harbor Light operates the Zelma George Shelter for Homeless Women and Children, with 87 beds located at 1710 Prospect Ave. Most emergency and transitional homeless shelters have policies that require residents to leave during early morning hours. They must leave presum- ably to seek employment, attend drug and alcohol counseling, vocational or college education. They may return to the shelters during select evening hours. For those with mental problems and unable to work, they roam the downtown area as the daytime “visible invisibles” according to Officer Linda Sealey of the Cleveland Police Department. “We visibly see them downtown yet psychologically we deny eye contact making them invisible when we see them in the library, Terminal Tower, asleep on the steps of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, and panhandling from street to street and corner to corner,” Sealey said. For non-shelter services, there are numerous facilities that will help them in the downtown area offering drug and alcohol counseling at Recovery Resources, located at 3950 Chester Ave., or at Mental Health Services, 1744 Payne. Breakfast, lunch, and evening meals can be obtained at the William Bishop Cosgrove Center, 1736 Superior Ave.; the Salvation Army, 1710 Prospect Ave., and Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave. In Part III of our series, mental health policy makers, advo- cates and others will discuss what’s being done to help the mentally challenged and homeless to be independent, get job training and find permanent housing. It will show innovations in housing developments other than emergency shelters and transitional housing with recommendations to the public. If our downtown is truly to emerge a vibrant economically developed renaissance, do not miss what they have to say and especially their recommendations on how the average citizen can help. Dr. Jeffrey Perkins Jr., holds a Ph.D. in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a research investigator and part- time staff member at Myers University. For responses to this report please e-mail him at jperkins@myers.edu or phone Myers University’s Cleveland Heights Academic Center at (216) 397-0360. The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland Creating positive outcomes in the lives of people living on low incomes, since 1966. Project B.R.E.A.D., A Food Stamp Entitlement Program The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland, formerly The Welfare Rights Organization, provides advocacy, community organizing, and programs stimulating personal development of individuals living with low incomes. One of The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland's major programs is to act as a contact for individuals in need of food assistance. Funded by and working in collaboration with the USDA-FNS, Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and Cuyahoga County Department of Employment and Family Services, The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland manages Project B.R.E.A.D., an outreach project regarding the Food Stamp Program. Staff from The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland is available to assist individuals with the process of making applications for Food Stamp Benefits. To find out more information or to make an appointment to complete a preliminary application for the Food Stamp Program, contact The Empowerment Center at 216-432- 4770. Contact us at: The Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland 3030 Euclid Avenue, Suite #100 Cleveland, Ohio 44115 ------216-432-4770 www.ecgccleveland.org #S#S#S#S #S #S ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆWÆWÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW ÆW 1 MILE RADIUS FROM PUBLIC SQ UARE 2 MILE RADIUS FROM PUBLIC SQUARE Detroit Superior Lakeside Payne Chester Euclid CarnegieProspect Woodland Community College East22nd East18th Lorain West25th n PUBLIC SQUARE 6 BEDS 50 BEDS 18 BEDS 75 BEDS 32 BEDS 11 BEDS 50 BEDS 20 BEDS 71 BEDS 28 BEDS 87 BEDS 350 BEDS 180 BEDS 160 BEDS 108 BEDS RADIUS OF SHELTERS AND OTHER SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS AND MENTALLY CHALLENGED IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND 1000 0 1000 2000 Feet SERVICES PROVIDED #S FOOD OR COUNSELING HOMELESS SHELTERS ÆW 1 - 50 BEDS ÆW 50 - 100 BEDS ÆW 100 - 150 BEDS ÆW150 - 350 BEDS DATABASE: JEFFREY PERKINS, JR., PH.D., CALL & POST SPECIAL RESEARCH PROJECT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY: CUYAHOGA COUNTY OFFICE OF HOMELESS SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR HOMELESS PERSONS, INC. Coping With Mental Illness – Future Shock Part II: Where are the mentally challenged and homeless downtown? Correction: 6bCle13.qxd 2/12/2008 5:56 PM Page 1

4. Residency-based treatment centers among lat- est options for mentally challenged homeless By Dr. JEFFREY PERKINS Jr. Contributing Writer Part One of our special report presented who the mentally challenged and homeless are in the downtown area by race, gender and age. Part Two presented where emergency shelters, transitional housing, and resource and food facilities are located downtown and their proximity to Public Square. Statistics in Part One showed how Black city residents disproportionately make up higher rates of the mentally challenged and homeless. The rates reported are rising and to meet their growing needs for emergency shelters, transitional housing, and resource facilities the development of these facilities has been within walking distance to Public Square by at least a mile or less. The primary reason we see so many of them downtown may be due to the development of downtown shelters and resource facilities in close proximity to Public Square and homeless shelter policies that require them to leave the prem- ises during daytime working hours. Public Square becomes the most likely alternate place to be because of its proximity, which offers the poor Black, White, Hispanic, etc., have-nots an opportunity to panhandle the haves for food, alcohol, bus transportation or whatever. Part Three concludes this series by presenting what mental health policymakers and others are doing to help them with recommendations about how concerned citizens can help. Our report begins with Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons Inc. (MHS), which provides outpatient treatment services, housing and counseling, and a 24-hour mobile crisis team. MHS Executive Director Dr. Steve Friedman recommends downtown businesses and citizens telephone the Mobile Crisis Team at (216) 623-6888 when confronted by persons who dis- play abnormal behavior, providing the situation is non-threaten- ing. Otherwise, he advises that an emergency telephone call be placed to the police. MHS also operates a special program to help children overcome trau- matic encounters as a result of witnessing or being victimized by violence. More information about their programs can be found by contacting Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons Inc., 1744 Payne Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114, telephone (216) 623-6555, or visit MHS-inc.org. In addition to the mental health services of MHS, due to growing demands for local hospital emergency psychiatric care St. Vincent Charity Hospital announced the renovation for expansion of its Psychiatric Emergency Unit. The hospital is one of the few in Ohio that offers emergency mental health care for anybody in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County needing emergency psychiatric help. The renovation construction is scheduled for completion this spring. The police training academy, in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board, operates the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program that teaches police officers how to interact with people with mental illness and provides the tools needed to divert nonviolent people with mental illness from going to jail, when appropriate, to a designated diversion and treatment point. According to police officer and academy trainer Linda Sealey, “CIT is a program that trains law enforcers on how to manage arrests involving people with mental problems. It has operated for the past three years working in collaboration with agencies that administer mental health treatment, counseling, and administration of justice.” Even though CIT is additional academy training that is voluntary, Sealey said “to encourage and ensure that patrolmen receives the additional training, Chief of Police Michael McGrath offers personal incentives designed to moti- vate them to receive the training. One effective method he uses is the personal signing of each certificate of program completion.” Regarding what has been done after arrests when people with mental problems enter the judicial system, Shaker Heights Municipal Judge K.J. Montgomery discussed what’s being done to protect their civil rights and civil liberties. “In the past, they often lin- gered longer than necessary in local municipal jails because of the difficulty by arresting officers to identify them or the arrestee’s lack of knowledge obtaining legal counsel,” said Montgomery. “The Cuyahoga County Mental Health Court Initiative grew out of collabora- tions between the County Court of Common Pleas and suburban court partners, in 2002, to ensure their legal rights are pro- tected once they are arrested.” CCMHCI offers legal refer- rals, bond investigation, and mental health jail liaisons. For public awareness of their services and other issues involving the mentally challenged homeless, Montgomery recommends that “workshops be offered designed to educate the average citizen on how to recognize symptoms of mental illness. Workshops in compas- sion training are designed to instruct the average citizen on how to interact with consumers of mental health services in order to diffuse stereotypes about them.” For colleges and universi- ties, she recommends that “they conduct more research into the bridging of three distinct admin- istrations of justice paradigms, i.e., punishment, rehabilitation, and now mental health, which is becoming more inclusive in the policy making process.” For information about CCMHCI contact: Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, 1200 Ontario St., Cleveland, OH 44114, telephone (216) 443-2170, or go online to http://cp.cuyahoga- county.us /internet /courtdocs /mhbrochure.pdf Also, county government manages the Office of Homeless Services which provides a wide range of services to reduce and prevent homelessness and THE CALLTHE CALL AND POSTWEDNESDAAND POSTWEDNESDAYY, FEBRUAR, FEBRUARYY 27, 2008P27, 2008PAGE 7AAGE 7A = Ohio Jobs Paid for by Americans for Balanced Energy Choices. To learn more visit EnergyForOhio.org or call 877-358-6699. ©2008 ABEC. It’s no secret – access to affordable energy is one of the leading reasons why businesses come to Ohio. In fact, a recent university study shows that there are more than 700,000 jobs here in Ohio because of access to affordable, reliable electricity produced by coal. More than 85 percent of the electricity we use each day in our homes and in our businesses comes from coal, and using coal to generate electricity is one-third the cost of most other fuels – which means our state has attracted industry and created jobs for our workers. So when the candidates talk about changes in energy policies that will result in creating so-called green collar jobs, what will that mean to the jobs we depend on each day here in Ohio? Green collar jobs might sound good to some people, but what does that mean for Ohio jobs … what does it mean for your job? As the presidential candidates visit our state, we need to make sure they know that using coal to generate electricity is a big plus when it comes to creating jobs for Ohio workers. Add it up for yourself at energyforohio.org. ENERGYFOROHIO.ORG Coping With Mental Illness – Future Shock Part Three: What are we doing to help? Participating in the St. Vincent Charity Hospital groundbreaking ceremony are, from left, Sister Judith Ann Karam, CSA, president and CEO, Sisters of Charity Health System, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Theresa Coaxum, Cleveland City Councilmembers Phyllis Cleveland of Ward 5 and Anthony Brancatelli of Ward 12, Charity emergency department Chairman Dr. Thomas Graber, Ward 3 Councilman Zack Reed, County Administrator Dennis Madden, St. Vincent Charity Hospital President & CEO Jeffrey S. Jeney, Bob Ivory, Charity psychiatry Chairman Luiz Ramirez. (STAFF PHOTO BY MYCHAL LILLY) Jeffrey Perkins, Ph.D., interviews tenants at Emerald Commons. 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5. THE CALL AND POST WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2008PAGE 9A increase access to permanent housing for low-income homeless persons. Recently in a ven- ture with the city of Cleveland, it opened the North Point Transitional Housing Center, located at 1550 Superior Ave. North Point is part of a $5 mil- lion appropriation to reduce homelessness and provide more support services. Natoya Walker, special assistant to the mayor for public affairs, discussed that since the mayor’s election, an integration of public services to help the homeless and ex-offenders has been his goal. The recent open- ing of North Point is one of several proposals designed to help. However, “North Point is not an emergency shelter; it is transitional housing set up to accomplish three major goals: to reduce homelessness, to provide a continuum of services including workforce development, and to provide c o m f o r t - able living a r r a n g e - ments for up to six m o n t h s while the w o r k i n g homeless save for an affordable apartment.” At the community-based level, community activists in partnership with community development corporations are experimenting with innovations and options to provide affordable housing for the mentally challenged homeless and disabled. Housing First Initiative is gaining momentum in its advocacy. In collaboration with Eden Inc. (a West Side CDC), hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, tax credits and government funding have been raised to renovate several apartments for them. According to Executive Director Kathryn Kazol, Eden’s most crowning achievement is a newly-built apartment complex called Emerald Commons on West 79th and Madison Ave. that opened in December 2006. With 52 efficiency single apartment units, residents are not considered clients, but tenants, according to Kazol. “They are tenants either diagnosed with mental health issues or seriously disabled,” Kazol said. “All were previous- ly homeless and either residing at the men’s or women’s emergency shelter downtown.” Emerald Commons is only one of 80 properties of Eden developed with onsite mental health care and other necessary services, some funded by the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board. Property Manager Christie Stroh discussed other necessary services such as front desk security and camera monitoring, and fur- nished single efficiency hous- ings with personal kitchens and private bath- rooms. “ T o help new t e n a n t s get started each effi- c i e n c y c o m e s equipped with an array of sundry items such as towels, kitchen utensils and beddings,” she said. “A walk-in pantry con- tains other sundries such as food, clothing, and men and women hygiene items. There is an exercise room, a computer lab with Internet access, a meet- ing room where tenants discuss apartment living, and a small kitchen for special affairs. Mental Health Services also provides on-site mental health treatment and counseling.” In a roundtable interview with several formerly homeless tenants they testified on the effectiveness of innovative housing like Emerald Commons and how it has helped them mentally. Emma Webster discussed her personal safety and the mental health benefits of having a place like Emerald Commons. “I would like to see more people on the street living in places like Emerald Commons,” she said. “I feel safe here, unlike at the women’s shelter on 22nd Payne Avenue.” Tenant Antonio Correa stated how Emerald Commons has helped him overcome his delusions. “Being here cuts down the chaos on your mind; you don’t worry as much and don’t have to look behind your back,” he said. “I feel safe and secure, and I no longer hear voices.” Similar apartments are scheduled to open on the East Side and south side of Cleveland. The Liberty at St. Clair will open this February with 72 efficiency apartments; and South Pointe Commons is currently under construction and will open 84 efficiency apartments in September. Since this is new for residen- tial neighborhoods, Kazol recommends we “educate the public to accept new housing developments for the mentally challenged in their neighborhoods. Develop partnerships with local community leaders and establish ‘good neighborhood policies’ for interacting with resi- dential developments exclusive- ly designed for mentally challenged residents.” Stroh recommends we develop “strategies to reach out to local professionals, such as chefs, artists, musicians, and others in the performing and fine arts, for the purpose of soliciting their time as volun- teers. Their volunteer in-kind services will greatly contribute by setting up workshops in community rooms of the newly developed housing servicing the mentally challenged. University students are also welcomed. The outcomes are expected to contribute immensely to the positive mental health and recovery of residents.” New initiatives like Emerald Commons, North Point Transitional Housing and others, are constantly besieged by funding concerns of mental health policymakers and advo- cates. William M. Denihan, chief executive officer of the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board, believes “the county and state are gross- ly under-funded and problems continue to rise. The public needs a proactive solution of funding designed to meet an array of needs of the mental health mentally challenged con- sumer. Instead, we’re reactive with most of the money spent on prisons.” Joan M. Englund, director of Mental Health Advocacy Coalition, recommends that the state of Ohio needs to prioritize mental health funding, because “when it comes to funding for mental health, Ohio has fallen in funding from 17 to 36 per capi- ta.” Judith Z. Peters, president and CEO of West Side Ecumenical Ministry, recommends “policymakers come up with economic solutions designed to close the gap between meagerly-earned income and the raising costs of affordable housing. This will lessen a lot of people’s mental health problems caused by financial uncertainties of day- to-day living.” Michael Baskin, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Cleveland recommends we support the need to “increase funding for additional outpatient services such as assisted outpatient treatment. Mobilize more public support for mandatory assisted outpatient treatment.” Sandy Stephenson, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health recommends a holistic approach to funding designed to “support re-entering ex-offender programs, housing options, and pediatrics and health care case workers who can identify (mental health) problems in children while very young in primary school and secondary high school.” Finally, if downtown Cleveland is to be a viable economically developed area we must do something about the ever-growing presence of so many homeless, wretched and mentally ill citizens wandering aimlessly in downtown and in public places seemingly with nowhere else to go. Helen Jones, president and CEO of Recovery Resources, recommends that the “public/private sector spend more resources to build up the downtown district as a vibrant downtown community with lots of entertainment, movie shows and restaurants. Currently it is not!” Dr. Jeffrey Perkins Jr. holds a Ph.D. in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a research investigator and part- time staff member at Myers University. For responses to this report please e-mail him at jperkins@myers.edu or phone Myers University’s Cleveland Heights Academic Center at (216) 397-0360. Coping From Page 7A 2008 Honorees JIM BROWN AMER-I-CAN GERALD LEVERT (IN MEMORIAM) WW.O.W.O.WALKERALKERSALUTESALUTE TTO COMMUNITYO COMMUNITY EXCELLENCEEXCELLENCE AAWWARDS CEREMONYARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION& RECEPTION RECOGNIZINGRECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALSINDIVIDUALS WHO HAWHO HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANTVE MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONSCONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH THEIRTHROUGH THEIR WORKWORK & VOLUNTEERISM& VOLUNTEERISM TTO IMPROVE THEO IMPROVE THE QUALITYQUALITY OFOF LIFE FOR OTHERSLIFE FOR OTHERS IN & THROUGHOUTIN & THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITYOUR COMMUNITY CCALLALL & P& POSTOST PPUBLISHERUBLISHER 1932 - 19811932 - 1981 DDAATETE:: TTHURSDAHURSDAYY, M, MARCHARCH 6, 20086, 2008 LLOCAOCATIONTION: H: HILILTTONON GGARDENARDEN IINNNN 11100 C100 CARNEGIEARNEGIE AAVENUEVENUE DDOWNTOWNTOWNOWN CCLEVELANDLEVELAND TTIMEIME: 6:00: 6:00 PMPM - 8:00- 8:00 PMPM 6:006:00PMPM-8:00-8:00PMPM AAWWARDSARDS CCEREMONYEREMONY BBUSINESSUSINESS AATTIRETTIRE PURCHASEPURCHASE YOURYOUR TICKETS NOW!TICKETS NOW! ~~ CCALLALL 216-588-6700 ~216-588-6700 ~ PAMELA M. HOLMES CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION KIM JOHNSON RADIO ONE CLEVELAND JEFFREY D. JOHNSON OHIO LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS DR. C. JAY MATTHEWS MT. SINAI BAPTIST CHURCH STEPHANIE MCHENRY SHORE BANK PAMELA F. SMITH CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DISTRICT ANDREW A. VENABLE, JR. CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY 2008 FINANCIAL MARK ETPLACE SERIES Our 2008 Financial Marketplace Series will examine economic issues and challenges being faced by our readers, including taxes, investments and personal holdings. We and our sponsors will provide information that can be used to establish a more stable and healthy financial future. PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN BE INCLUDED IN THIS SPECIAL SECTION. (216) 791-7600 PERSONAL FINANCE Publication Date: April 30 Deadline Date: April 23 • MANAGING YOUR CREDIT • SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY • FINANCIAL PLANNING Emerald Commons A typical room arrangement Workout room Computer room Efficiency kitchen 9aCle27.qxd 2/26/2008 12:40 PM Page 1

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