Date & Source

Summary & Reference

Michele Johnson is a 40-year-old mother of seven whose efforts to overcome sudden homelessness are vividly portrayed in a feature article of The Plain Dealer's Holiday Spirit: A Community in Need, 2004. This campaign raises funds for needy members of the community during the holiday season. The article describes Ms Johnson's work with Cynthia Chaytor and other staff members of the MHS Community Women's Shelter.

To learn more about the Holiday Spirit campaign, click here.
To read The Plain Dealer feature article,  click here.

New York City announced major changes in the eligibility of families for shelter services, and in the shelter intake system, according to an article in The New York Times. The changes are intended to reduce shelter utilization, streamline service delivery to homeless families, and eliminate the Emergency Assistance Unit in the Bronx. The City will begin construction of a new $30 million center in 2006. The city estimates it now provides shelter for 9,000 families, at an annual cost of $25,000 per family.

Currently, families can repeatedly apply for shelter, and stay for months. City officials believe that many homeless families use the city's shelter as their first resource in a family crisis, instead of seeking help from family members or friends. Under the new plan, families who have previously used the shelter will not be allowed to return.

Shelter intake has been moved to a renovated building, where "homeless families will be assigned a personal counselor who will advise them during the entire 10-day period it takes to determine whether they are eligible to remain in shelter for the long term. The time it takes for families to be assigned a bed in a short-term shelter will be cut from three days on average to four hours, officials said."

"Last month, the city announced that even homeless families found eligible for assistance would no longer be allowed to apply for federal rent subsidies. Such subsidies were the primary way families left shelters and gained their own apartments, and homeless advocates have argued that without them, there will be an explosion in the number of families staying in the system. The city has proposed replacing the federal subsidy with a time-limited subsidy from the city and state, but the state has yet to sign on for its share of the funding."

Kaufman, Leslie. (2004, November 17). New York announces new system to process families seeking shelter. The New York Times. (To jump to the article at nytimes.com, click here .)

Ohio Governor Bob Taft and Lieutenant Governor Jennette Bradley announced the creation of an Ohio Interagency Council on Homelessness and Housing. The Council held its first organizational meeting today, after it was created on 15 June 2004 by Executive Order 2004-09T. The Interagency Council is to be chaired by Lt. Governor Bradley, and "will serve as the Governor's planning and policy development body regarding statewide strategies to address homelessness prevention and related housing issues." Representative from 14 state agencies, including the Departments of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and Mental Health, will serve on the Interagency Council. In addition, the Governor appointed eight community leaders to serve on the Council, including Ruth Gillett, Program Manager for the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services. Governor Taft stated that the Council "will provide a coordinated effort for state, federal, and local responses to the challenge of preventing homelessness, with emphasis on ending chronic homelessness. It is critical that Ohio provide effective and efficient services to citizens who are homeless or at risk for experiencing homelessness."

The National Coalition for the Homeless today released its third annual report on civil rights violations experienced by homeless people.   Based on survey responses of advocates, service providers, and homeless people of 179 communities in 48 states, the report, entitled Illegal to be Homeless: The Criminalization of Homelessness in the United States, concludes that violations of the basic human rights of homeless people are widespread. "Through the passage of possibly unconstitutional laws, the 'selective enforcement' of existing laws, arbitrary police practices, and discriminatory public regulations, people experiencing homelessness face overwhelming hardships in addition to their daily struggle for survival" (p. 4). Cleveland is mentioned as one of a few cities that use off-duty police officers as security guards. "People who spend a large number of hours of the day on the streets report frequent and systematic abuse by private security guards in the downtowns of our urban environments" (p. 9). According to the report (p. 101), the sole source of information about Cleveland was Brian Davis, Director, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, and editor of the Homeless Grapevine street newspaper. The report describes model programs in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and Fort Lauderdale, and makes recommendations for change.

National Coalition for the Homeless. (2004, November). Illegal to be homeless: The Criminalization of homelessness in the United States. Washington, D.C.

An analysis by the Brookings Institution of nonprofit organizations in the Washington, D.C. area showed that 78% of organizations had increased costs, 60% served more people, yet only one third had increased funding from federal or local governments between 2001 and 2003. Nonprofit leaders also reported that private donations in 2004 suffered because of donations to political candidates and parties. One Executive Director, Chuck Bean, summarizes the situation: "You add up the three factors - flat funding, rising expenses, and rising demand - and a nonprofit is left with the really hard choice of thinning the soup or shortening the line."   These same factors have been evident for years in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, as Medicaid reimbursement rates have remained capped, HUD has frozen funding for existing programs, and State and local governments anticipate funding cuts. Moreover, Ohio and Cuyahoga County have not experienced the economic growth enjoyed by other areas of the country.

Witte, Griff.  (2004, November 7).  Election, economy strains nonprofits.  Washington Post, P. F-01. ( To read the article, click here.)

MHS is honored to become a partner agency of United Way Services of Greater Cleveland (UWS). The UWS Executive Committee approved funding for MHS homeless shelter services. MHS operates a 50-bed Emergency Shelter for Disabled Men, and a 134-bed Community Shelter for Women.   UWS has more than 130 partner agencies with programs that serve more than 400,000 people each year.

UWS funding will allow MHS to train staff members to provide Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) for clients who have a co-occurring serious mental illness, and an alcohol and/or drug addiction.  IDDT has been demonstrated to be effective in this population, by scientific studies that used objective outcome measures. The Ohio Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Coordinating Center of Excellence will provide MHS with training and consultation.   More ...

New York City’s 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness places new emphasis on creating housing units with supportive services, and will ask some to pay part of their shelter costs, according to The New York Times’ review of a draft of the plan. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is to announce the final plan on 23 June. New York City has 37,000 single individuals in shelters, and 9,000 families in shelters (although the report does not note if these are point-in-time numbers, or an annual count). In contrast, the one-night count of all homeless individuals (single, and in families) in shelters in Cuyahoga County on the night of 25 June 2003 was 1,318. The number of people who are homeless in Cuyahoga County at some time during the year is estimated to be about 22,000. (To see more about the count, go here, and scroll down to the last section of the page.) Government officials in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are also debating policies for shelter usage, and how to best allocate limited resources in the face of rising shelter and housing costs.

New York City has built 21,000 units of supportive housing during the past 20 years, and may need to build another 16,000 during the next ten years. In a supportive housing unit, an organization provides psychiatric, drug treatment, case management, skill-building, and other supportive services that help the individual to remain safely housed. MHS operates several supportive housing programs (our Safe Havens and Young Adult Program), and is implementing a new supportive housing project at this time.

Kaufman, L. (2004, June 16). City shifts view on homelessness. New York: The New York Tiimes. Click here to see the article.

About 150 homeless men in Cleveland are now being sent by bus each night to the old Aviation High School building at Burke Lakefront Airport. The increasing number of homeless men seeking shelter has exceeded the 400-bed capacity of the Salvation Army emergency shelter for men at 2100 Lakeside Avenue in Cleveland. The report notes an increasing number of men released from Ohio prisons recently. It also notes that a “slumping economy and resulting increase in homelessness have made the situation worse in the last two years.”

A plan to increase shelter capacity though the purchase of another building near the current shelter failed late last year when the building owner withdrew his offer to sell the building to Cuyahoga County. Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman and Cuyahoga County Deputy Administrator Rick Werner want to organize a meeting with community providers to formulate a comprehensive plan to address the area's growing number of homeless individuals.

Mazzolini, Joan. (2004, April 11). Overcrowding still plagues men’s shelter. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer.   To read the article, click here.

Trading custody for care must end, according to Ohio Governor Bob Taft. A news release from the Governor’s office called for an end to the practice of requiring some parents of severely emotionally disturbed children to relinquish custody of the children to the state in order to obtain state-provided mental health care. Governor Taft also announced plans to improve behavioral health services for children, and change the way child residential facilities are monitored. These recommendations came after recent stories in the Cincinnati Enquirer described the mistreatment of children who had been taken into custody, and were being cared for at residential treatment facilities with state funding.

Custody relinquishment would be eliminated by the proposed Senate Bill 92, and Governor Taft asked the Ohio Family and Children First Council to recommend improvements to this bill. He also instructed Ohio Department of Mental Health Director Mike Hogan to change procedures at child residential facilities in order to improve the monitoring of injuries and other unusual incidents, reduce unnecessary restraint and seclusion, and increase the frequency of unannounced inspections. Governor Taft also asked Dr. Hogan for a study and recommendations to remedy the shortage of child psychiatrists.

In a memorandum to hospital emergency departments in Cuyahoga County, William M. Denihan, Chief Executive of the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Board (CCCMHB) announced the restoration of funding that had been cut more than one year ago. "Effective April 1, 2004, the Mobile Crisis Team will again have the ability to assess indigent clients in emergency rooms during the overnight hours. The Board is aware of how difficult it has been for hospital emergency rooms dealing with delays because of earlier cutbacks. It is our effort to respond to your concerns that made restoring Mobile Crisis a major priority." James Nagle, Director of Administration at MHS, and Sarah McGuire, Director of Crisis Services, stated that the restored funding will allow for an additional five staff members for the Mobile Crisis Team.

WCPN, a public radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, hosted a conversation that introduced the Network of Care for Mental Health, the new website of the Lorain County (Ohio) Community Mental Health Board. Taking part in the conversation were Michael Hogan, Ph.D., Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH); Bill Harper, Director of the Mental Health Board in Lorain County; and two mental health consumers. The new website was described as a place to turn online for issues of mental health. It was modeled after a website in California, and operates with the support of ODMH.

Dr. Hogan noted that the website may help people get access to the care they need. He noted that fragmentation of mental health care was one of the most significant problems in mental health care that was noted in the final report of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Dr. Hogan was Chairman of that Commission. (Stigma and limitations in payment for mental health care were the other two major problems described in the Commission’s report.)

In response to a question about the prevalence of mental health problems, Dr. Hogan responded that researchers tell us that in one year, 20% of the population of the U.S. have an episode of a mental illness. Of those who have an episode, he said about half get an illness that is not serious - the equivalent of a bad head cold. About one-fourth experience a more serious illness - the equivalent of bronchitis, that affects you every day. And, about one fourth get an even more serious illness – the equivalent to pneumonia, with serious and lasting consequences and perhaps hospitalization. He also said that the impact of mental health problems in the U.S. is second to that of heart disease.

One of the callers to the program was Eugene Brudno, who facilitates a family support group in Cuyahoga County for families of those with mental illness, and invited interested people to call him at 216-295-9938.

Businessman Sam Miller said he would give $25,000 to the Salvation Army to supports its emergency men’s shelter in Cleveland, if other donors match his proposed contribution. Mr. Miller is co-chairman of Forest City Enterprises, a real estate development company. He said he was responding to Sam Fulwood’s opinion column published on 16 March. Philip Mason of the Salvation Army said the contribution would help pay for shelter operating costs. Mr. Mason said the Salvation Army is still talking with city and county officials on a renewal contract for shelter operations.

Atassi, Leila. (2004, March 18). Forest City’s Miller offers challenge grant to shelter. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, p. B-3.    To read the article, click here.

Sam Fulwood III, a columnist for The Plain Dealer, describes how one man was sent to a facility in Cleveland with a letter from a parole board that stated "You are not to change residence without permission from your parole officer.” The ‘residence” to which the man was sent was the Salvation Army emergency shelter for men at 2100 Lakeside Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. Captain Ricardo Fernandez of the Salvation Army told Mr. Fulwood that “neither prison officials nor parole board officers … arranged for the man to live at the shelter, or even called to ask if there was room.” Despite the apparent lack of a referral, shelter staff members took him in and provided services. Mr. Fulwood notes that this illustrates the problems facing the Salvation Army shelter as it negotiates a renewal of its service contract with Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

For mentally-ill men and women who are granted parole and who then return to Cuyahoga County, MHS plays an important role in the coordination of care and services. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction notifies MHS three to four weeks before these individuals are to be released from prison, and sends information about their mental health treatment while in prison. MHS Referral and Information Specialists working with the Mobile Crisis Team then work to obtain an intake appointment for the individual at a community mental health center. The goal is to help those who have mental illnesses to achieve uninterrupted and well-coordinated care upon return to the community. This promotes the maintenance of the person’s recovery, and the safety of both the parolee and the community.

Fulwood III, Sam. (2004, March 16). Salvation Army’s terrible dilemma. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, p. B-1.    To view Mr. Fulwood's opinion column, click here.

“The Salvation Army has threatened to walk away from operating the men's shelter at 2100 Lakeside Ave. if it does not get more money to run it” according to this article on page one of the Metro section. That shelter opened in February 2000, and is reported to serve 400-600 men per night. In its negotiations with officials of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the Salvation Army is asking for $30 per shelter night per client, or $4.38 million per year to provide shelter for 400 men per night. It is also asking for an additional $200,000 for administrative costs. The shelter’s budget last year was $1.92 million. That total includes $680,000 each from Cleveland and the County, plus additional funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Cuyahoga County Emergency Food and Shelter Board. Negotiations continue on Monday, 15 March. The article also notes that an overflow shelter at the former Aviation High School, also operated by the Salvation Army, is to open soon.

Chatman, Angela D. (2004, March 13). Salvation Army demands raise to keep operating men’s shelter. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, pp. B-1 & B-5. To view the article, click here.

Hiaasen, Scott. (2004, March 8). Cleveland police struggle to oversee too many inmates in substandard jails. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, pp. A-1 & A-4. To view the article, click here.

Steven Miller, the attorney for Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman "said he will seek dismissal of Cimperman's lawsuit attempting to block the opening" of the MHS Community Women's Shelter. According to the report, Mr. Miller "reached an agreement with city officials giving Cimperman access to the shelter," and information about shelter safety and utilization. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Russo had rejected Councilman Cimperman's request on Friday, 6 February.

Because of these and other obstacles, few MHS clients participate in the workforce. (Data about the employment and income sources of MHS clients during the last fiscal year can be reviewed by clicking here.) In fact, the low rate of employment among those with mental disorders has been noted with alarm. Dr. Michael F. Hogan, Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health, served as Chairman of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. The final report of the Commission, presented to President Bush in July 2003, concludes that "[t]he low rate of employment for adults with mental illnesses is alarming. People with mental illnesses have one of the lowest rates of employment of any group with disabilities … The loss of productivity and human potential is costly to society and tragically unnecessary. High unemployment occurs despite surveys that show the majority of adults with serious mental illnesses want to work – and that many could work with help" (page 29.) In this context, it is both ironic and tragic that funds allocated by elected representatives to provide this help are diverted to other purposes.

Hiaasen, Scott. (2004, February 11). Judge: State diverted welfare dollars. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, pp. B-1 & B-5. To view the article, click here.

Editorial supports opening of the Community Women's Shelter.

Editors of The Plain Dealer took note of the opening of the MHS Community Women's Shelter on Saturday, 7 February 2004.   “That night,” the editorial states, “more than 90 women and five children enjoyed a warm, safe haven.” The editors characterized the opening as “good news.”   Referring to MHS and Emerald Development and Economic Network, Inc. (EDEN), the nonprofit housing development agency that renovated and operates the building, the editors reached this conclusion:   “Run by two of the area's finest nonprofit groups, it promises to provide decent quarters and vital support services.”

Cimperman protests too much [Editorial]. (2004, February 10). Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, p. B-8.   To view the editorial, click here.

The next day, Jeff Darcy, Editorial Cartoonist for The Plain Dealer, presented his interpretation of this story. To see his cartoon of 11 February, click here.

MHS opens the Community Women's Shelter, after Judge lifts emergency order.

This article reports the opening of the Community Women's Shelter, the newest MHS program.   “The facility, in adjacent buildings, will have room for more than 100 women and children. It has been in the works for three years, since a public outcry over overcrowding, moldy walls and a leaky roof prompted the shutdown of a women's shelter on East 18th Street.

“Catholic Charities offered temporary quarters across the street, in a gym at the Bishop Cosgrove Center. But the diocese said last summer that it wanted out of the shelter business. Catholic Charities officials repeatedly extended deadlines, but they are disbanding their shelter staff today. The county commissioners contracted with Mental Health Services Inc. to run the new shelter, housed in two federally owned buildings.”

According to the article, Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman had “ filed suit as a private citizen against the city late Friday afternoon. He asked Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo to block the city from contracting with a nonprofit to run the new shelter or issuing a permit for it to open, and to keep open the stopgap women's shelter the new one is replacing. Russo issued an emergency order at 3:30 p.m. blocking plans to move the occupants of the temporary shelter to the new one on Payne Avenue near East 22nd Street. But after lawyers from the city objected, Russo met with Cimperman's attorneys and Cleveland Law Director Subodh Chandra. About three hours after he issued the order, Russo reconsidered and lifted it, saying he improperly issued it without hearing the city's side.”

Cleveland Housing Department officials had inspected the new facility and found that it met applicable provisions of the housing code. Judge Russo “ordered the city to detail in writing, by Monday, why the judge should toss out Cimperman's suit, and gave the councilman a day to reply. The judge has not scheduled what he would do after reviewing the briefs.”

Nichols, Jim. (2004, February 7). Downtown shelter to open this morning. Cleveland, OH: The Plain Dealer, pp. B-1 & B-5. To view the article, click here.

A related NewsChannel-5 website story can be seen through this link.

For other news and information about MHS, click on the links below.

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