Rescue Mission: Mental Health Needs to be Addressed

The Cookeville Rescue Mission is looking to address growing concerns with mental health in the homeless community.

Director of Operations Luke Eldridge said the Rescue Mission does what they can to provide resources to those who may need mental health services.

“We have some contacts within Plateau, Mental Health Co-Op, and Ten Broeck, and what we do is we call them to let them know,” Eldridge said. “I have a background in mental health. I understand the severity in that. That’s one thing we tell them, you’ve got to do that, you’ve got to get the help you need. We’ll even help them set up an appointment if need be, and we’ll get them transportation there. So we have all that taken care of as well.”

Pastor Ryan Henry said the public needs to look past the various stigmas that can often be associated with mental health.

“Mental health has a stigma of psychosis and psychotics and being crazy. It’s something that takes time and builds up,” Henry said. “It could be a life full of stress and you can’t take it anymore, divorce, grief and loss… it could be chemical imbalances or it could be environments that cause it. A lot of folks don’t have the coping skills.”

Eldridge said he has talked with Cookeville city officials, including Mayor Ricky Shelton, about potentially improving the homelessness situation in the community.

“[Shelton] supports us a lot in things when it comes to talking and encouraging other people about the Mission,” Eldridge said. “I think the city, ourselves, the mental facilities, and a lot of key players in the community need to get together to figure out what we’re going to do because this issue is only going to get worse, and I’ve preached that for three or four years.”

Henry said spotting the early signs of declining mental health in an individual, including signs of addiction is important before it’s too late. Henry said he knew the two homeless individuals found deceased over the past month and attributed their deaths to the struggles they faced each day.

“The individual that was found in the parking lot came to church on a regular basis but was trying to do things on his own and live the American dream,” Henry said. “The other individual seemed like he was on the rise and going well. We just don’t know the details on any of those situations and we just pray for them and their families. We pray that we see the signs and hope to intervene.”

The first individual was identified as 47-year-old Philippe Ceverain of Haiti, who was found in his vehicle Sept. 24 by Putnam County Sheriffs deputies. The second individual was found at City Lake Oct. 15 and has not yet been identified. His body was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. Foul play was not believed to be the cause of either deaths as Ceverain’s was likely due to health-related issues.