Pop* was wandering around a market in his dirty clothes. People in the area avoided him because they knew he was a homeless drug addict with mental instability. Most in his shoes have little hope of returning to mainstream society. Pop was not the case.
"While Pop may have years of struggle ahead of him, at 21 years old he is still young," said Sittiphol Chuprajong, Humans on the Street project manager under The Mirror Foundation. Fortunately, staff from the project found Pop and took him to a hospital for treatment.
"Despite his mental illness, he can communicate with people. We explained to him that after he undergoes treatment at the hospital, we will find him a job and a place to stay. The Mirror Foundation has a project, 'Jang Wan Kha (Hire Me)', which finds jobs for the homeless and jobless people. If he has a job, he can stand on his feet," Sittiphol said.
There were around 1,300 homeless people in Bangkok, one third with mental disorders, according to 2018 figures from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. And Pop is one of them. It's estimated that around the country, there are about 30,000 homeless people, many with physical and mental health issues.
Also according to a 2015 survey conducted in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen by the Social Research Institute of Chulalongkorn University and Thai Health Promotion Foundation, there were 1,500 homeless people without identification cards, 55% of whom could not access state healthcare, with 70% suffering from a mental illness.
Amanda Obdam with staff from The Mirror Foundation. (Photo: facebook.com/mirrorf)
The Humans on the Street Project was placed in the spotlight when The Mirror Foundation invited Amanda Obdam, Miss Universe Thailand 2020, to join their project as a communication volunteer ambassador. The invitation, made on Facebook, was polarising since it occurred shortly after Amanda was fired by the Mental Health Department as its ambassador due to her political comments made on social media. Amanda later accepted the invitation to be the foundation's ambassador.
"Amanda is qualified to be our communication volunteer ambassador. As Miss Universe Thailand 2020, the public will listen to her and she will help give the foundation a stronger voice. We looked over her profile and discovered that Amanda has an interest in mental illness issues, so we do not have to inform her much about it. She understands how to speak about this subject matter. Since the Mental Health Department did not want her as its ambassador, she will be helpful for the Humans on the Street project," said Sittiphol.
The project was established in 2012 after staff from the foundation learned that a homeless, mentally unstable woman who roamed around near their office had delivered a baby on the street. That case triggered them to develop the programme, which dovetailed with the foundation's main mission to search for missing people -- many mentally ill patients turned out to be those missing people.
"Many patients with schizophrenia, for example, are very difficult for their caretakers. Some are prone to destroy things and have tantrums. When they want to leave their homes, they just walk out and cannot find their way back. Some of the patients have hallucinations, delusions and chaotic thinking and behaviour. Some believe that people are trying to kill them," Sittiphol said.
Homeless women are the priority cases, the project manager said.
The Humans on the Street project helps homeless people with mental illness. (Photo: facebook.com/HumanOnStreet)
"Women are at risk of sexual assault. Other priorities are patients who are harmful to themselves and others. For example, a patient who runs back and forth on the streets or destroys property or is aggressive. These cases must be assisted first," Sittiphol added.
Sittiphol has found many difficulties in working with government agencies, such as the police, many of whom lack the training and resources to assist the mentally ill homeless. Sittiphol estimates that 90% of the calls to police on mentally ill homeless persons are ignored. The foundation will contact the superintendent of the police station to request assistance for transporting a patient to a hospital. However, police officers sometimes do not have a proper vehicle to pick up patients.
"A patient is taken in a van and sometimes is handcuffed if there is no police officer to look after the patient. That is not the appropriate way to handle a patient," Sittiphol said.
In order to speed up the process, the project collaborated with the Ministry of Interior and hospitals in order to scan fingerprints of patients, so that hospitals can identify a patient and process the case by using state welfare. Each case will no longer be a burden to the hospital.
"Identifying a patient also helps us to contact the patient's family, so the patient can return home after a treatment," said Sittiphol.
Sittiphol hopes that Amanda Obdam will use her social media platform to increase awareness about the homeless mentally ill.
"We would like to change how people see the homeless mentally unstable on the streets. Society should not think that these people are crazy or lunatics. They are patients who need help. We think leaving them to roam the streets is not appropriate. We hope that Amanda's messages will change the attitude of people," Sittiphol said.
Amanda Obdam, Miss Universe Thailand 2020, serves as the foundation’s communication volunteer ambassador.
Miss Universe Thailand has shared a post about the Humans on the Street project, urging people to show compassion to these homeless patients. Amanda also told the foundation's staff that she will continue to work on the project even after the end of her Miss Universe Thailand term.
"Amada will join our team to see how we work on the street this month. If she has first-hand experiences, she will have a clearer picture for her message," he said.
Not everyone is happy with having Amanda representing the project. The foundation has been criticised for supporting young protesters and some people made comments on social media that they will stop donating to the foundation.
"We did not choose Amada for any political reasons. We believe she is suitable for the position and will be helpful for patients. Our donors are mature and can figure out what we work for. Our work will prove our intentions," explained Sittiphol.
Without proper treatment, the homeless mentally ill can suffer greatly. Their conditions, both mental and physical, can become chronic, leading to lengthy hospital stays and difficulties mainstreaming them back into society.
Sittiphol called on state organisations like the Mental Health Department and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to increase programmes to help the mentally ill homeless. He said that while state foster homes provide adequate food, hygiene and accommodation, some shelters lack psychological services or proper rehabilitation services for patients discharged from hospitals.
"The patients just live day by day which is not right for human beings," he said.
*Not his real name
