Imagine waking up in your own apartment after five years without a place to call home – that is Mikel’s story. To honor Mikel’s identity, we will use gender neutral pronouns (xe/xem/xyrs) in sharing xyr incredible journey.
Mental health has been a challenge for Mikel since childhood, especially when it came to finding the right care. “I definitely have been getting mental health treatment for a long time, I guess since I was a kid,” xe explained, “I had all these internal struggles that nobody was aware of. The times when I had voices telling me to be suicidal, then I could get more treatment, but it was just to make me not suicidal; they didn’t really fix the problems.”
Mikel became unhoused when xe felt xe had to leave xyr apartment due to a dispute with a neighbor leading to the loss of safety in xyr own home and the threat of eviction. Just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning, xe found xemself living in a state of instability, facing a lack of housing options and financial resources, “the pandemic was starting, so it was a hard time to be homeless because the library was closed, and all the bathrooms were locked, so that was really difficult. Then I was trying to find places to live, and I couldn’t find anywhere that would rent to me because I didn’t have enough money. I found some Airbnbs that were cheaper than rental places, so I stayed in Airbnbs, and it was nice to be inside sometimes,” said Mikel.
Mikel eventually was able to purchase a vehicle, which became xyr safe haven, “I had been homeless for four years before living in my car; the car was actually an improvement, it felt like such a luxury, being able to park at the park and have my own spot and not have to be in the grass or uncomfortable.”
Shortly after this win for Mikel, a prior incident caught up to xem, and xe were arrested and then jailed for three months. Mikel was then mandated to the Oregon State Hospital (OSH) where xe received psychiatric treatment. Xe had mixed feelings about being mandated. Xe genuinely wanted to get treatment, but the experience was very intense. Mikel stated, “it felt like it was good to go there (at OSH), but I also didn’t quite fit in. I didn’t need to be locked up because I liked being there, and I thought it would have been nice to go check on my car or leave for the weekend sometimes. Having to be escorted everywhere seemed like a little too much for me,” xe explained, “it felt like at the hospital, they were trying to make me fit for trial, but I wanted to not suffer as much, so I was trying to get that out of being there.”
After spending four months at OSH, Mikel was referred to ShelterCare’s Birch program, where xe found the support xe needed, “I remember it was like a dream come true in terms of having people work with me where I was living because I’d often felt really bad before, I think catatonic is the word. I couldn’t really move, and I wished I didn’t have to go to appointments,” xe explained, “it felt like having an advocate who would reach out to me instead of not really being present. The staff were there most days, in person. Just having someone there, so if I thought of something, I could talk to them, kept me from feeling alone.”
ShelterCare’s Birch program is a partnership with Lane County Court’s 370 (Aid and Assist) program to provide shelter and supportive services to individuals who have mental health symptoms and are unable to participate in their own legal defense. The Birch Program has three group homes where individuals live and receive services so that they can engage in the Aid and Assist program. After successfully completing the Birch Program, participants graduate into a six-month step-down program, Birch II, to help them transition into their own stable housing in the community.
While Mikel was staying at a Birch house, xe told us xe found a sense of community and belonging, “it was really cool they let me stay in the women’s house. That meant a lot to me because I’m not necessarily a man, so I felt like it was a nice balance after being in jail around all these men for a while,” xe said, “it was cool to be around other people that were working through what I was too.” Some of Mikel’s favorite activities that the staff put on to foster this sense of community were hikes, grocery trips, potting plants, tie-dying, and cooking groups.
Thanks to the help of our Birch staff, Mikel was able to reach stability, and xyr charges were dropped. Xe then moved onto the Birch 2 step-down program for three months while looking for permanent housing. A unit opened up at one of the complexes ShelterCare manages, and xe were able to move into another place where xe found community, “I feel like it’s a great fit, not just because it’s affordable, but other people there have been homeless or have disabilities, so it feels like that’s relatable.”
Mikel has since gone back to college, where xe only have about a year left to finish xyr degree in neuroscience, “this is a thing I could do for myself to understand more about what I’m going through, and help others too,” xe told us, “I’ve been trying to think past getting a degree and what I’m going to actually do. I like research, but I really like applying it in real life.”
Xe told us about a project xe have already created to make mental healthcare more accessible, “it’s called the Cool Line, which is like a warm line, but automated. You have a little script for it. I set it up with a number, and you could call it and press one of the numbers on a phone tree, and based on what kind of support you needed, you would get that messaging. I always thought I could be an entrepreneur in the mental health field.”
Mikel expressed the gratitude xe have for the ShelterCare Birch team, “they just cared about my life and helping me. After all those years I’d been by myself, it was cool to have all this support. It really made me feel a lot better,” xe said. Your donation will help our compassionate Birch staff continue providing support to individuals like Mikel, so they can gain their wellness and independence. Will you change a life with us by donating today?