Research Paper: Homelessness, Mental Illness and Community Care Programs in NJ

Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Community Care Programs in N.J.
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Homelessness, Mental Illness, and Community Care Programs in N.J.
Research and review the statistics on homelessness, mental illness, and community care programs in your state or county.
Homelessness is one of the most serious issues that continues to plague the United States. Even though the country boasts of having the largest economy in the world by GDP, a significant percentage of the population cannot find apt housing. An article from the White House (2019) reports that more than half a million people are homeless in the U.S. These people are categorized into two with the biggest percentage being found in homeless shelters and another in unsheltered as well as the streets. In New Jersey, homelessness is still one of the issues that go unsolved every year, just like at the national level. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (2020), “as of January 2019, New Jersey had an estimated 8,862 experiencing homelessness on any given day.” This number is further divided into different categories, including veterans, family households, and young adults who struggled to find better shelters. Compared to other states, New Jersey appears to be doing much better given its population size, which stands at nearly 9 million. However, this does not mean that the state should not continue to look for ways to help ensure that it has fewer people identifying as homeless.
Another problem that is quite rampant in New Jersey and the world, in general, is the increased number of mental health cases. With more mental health cases being reported, the stability of people is continually being questioned. The statistics regarding mental health in New Jersey are quite alarming. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2015), “about 247,000 adults aged 18 or older (3.6% of all adults) in 2014-2015 had SMI in the past year.” SMI stands for serious mental illnesses, and examples of such illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Also, it should be noted that there is a significant percentage of New Jersey residents who do not get to receive any mental health service. SAMHSA (2015) reports that 39.2% of adults with any mental illness get to receive help or treatment. However, there is a bigger percentage that does not get to receive any help or service, and it stands at 60.8%. These are staggering revelations that showcase the big gap that exists in the access, and provision of healthcare services to all parties with needs. There is, therefore, the need to establish measures and to adopt policies that will help ensure that everyone is able to access mental health services. A healthy nation delineates its growth trajectory. So, New Jersey needs to enact and adopt measures t...