POLK COUNTY, Fla. — If you follow a dirt path into the woods near 2nd Eloise Terrace in Winter Haven, it will lead you to a homeless encampment. There is where you’ll find 23-year-old Austin Smith.
“I get five minutes a day, when I wake up of peace and quiet. Then the voices they come and it’s really hard to deal with,” said Smith.
Smith has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
"It’s bipolar-induced schizophrenia, so that means whenever my mood changes, I hear different voices. Most of the time, I hear the voices of my loved ones or people I really care about,” Smith said.
Smith is not taking medication for his mental illness, and he said substance abuse has contributed to him living at the homeless camp for two years.
“Drugs are a very bad influence, and they do not help at all,” he said.
People with mental disorders are at greater risk of experiencing homelessness. Homelessness, in turn, may exacerbate poor mental health and substance use.
According to NAMI, 21.1 percent of people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. have a serious mental health condition.
“A majority do have a mental illness. I would say all in this encampment,” said Gary Graham.
Graham is a certified peer specialist with Polk for Recovery RCO. The grassroots organization connects people experiencing addiction and mental health challenges with resources and services.
“If you’re detoxing off drugs, we’ll get you into a detox unit. If not, we’ll get you into a facility like Talbot House or Light House. Get you cleaned up and back on your medication. If you need to go to the hospital, then we’ll get you over to Lakeland Regional Health or whichever hospital that can help you,” said Graham.
Polk for Recovery provides access to mental health counselors and psychiatrists, but Graham said it can be difficult to convince people to continue services once they start to feel better.
“We encourage them. We let them know that there is a way for them to take their medication without using street drugs and that they can become a productive member of society again,” said Graham.
Data from the yearly point-in-time survey estimates that 1,300 people are experiencing homelessness in Polk County. That’s about a 60 percent increase from last year.
Leaders at the Homeless Coalition of Polk County believe making housing in reach for more people is the first step to addressing the issue.
“Once we get our individuals housed then we can go ahead and rehabilitate them to increase their mental health and stability. That's a big key. There are great organizations in Polk County that are providing those services. We just need more funding,” said Bridget Engleman, Executive Director of the Homeless Coalition of Polk County.
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