Iqaluit badly needs facility for the mentally disordered

I am writing this letter to address some of the concerns that we at the homeless shelter encounter on a day-to-day basis.

On any given evening we take in anywhere from 10 to 14 different people. We do not look at colour, race, religious affiliation, political beliefs, sexual preference, or if the person in question is unemployed or employed full or part-time. These people all have one need and that is to have a safe and warm place to lay there head for the night.

Of this number of individuals, approximately one-third have some kind of mental disorder.

This group, over the last one and a half years, has taken more time to deal with specific day-to-day problems than the other groups.

With our intake over this period, we have had over 90 different males and a 12 females. What this means is that only five to 10 people with these problems are taking time that could otherwise be spent trying to address problems that deal with homelessness and how to find a solution.

We at the shelter are not equipped or have the expertise to deal with these people, but we try our darndest to make them feel warm, comfortable and useful.We have made court appearances, doctor and hospital visits and numerous other meetings on their behalf.

What we have not received is proper communication from other NGOs, government organizations and a number of health care groups.

You may ask, what is a solution to this problem? The answer is very simple.

1. Create a facility where these people can and will receive proper care and guidance under proper supervision, with properly trained individuals to care and nurture their every day needs and wants.

2. Communicate with other departments and individuals in the communities. If we build a strong and caring network, then we all can make the work a little easier on everyone, clients included.

3. Enough long-term funding to make it work.

Remember, most of these people are Inuit beneficiaries and they deserve to be treated as such.

Gordon Barnes
Executive Director
Oqota Emergency Shelter