Advocacy: Unveiling One Woman’s Struggles in Colusa County, CA
The Sacramento River mirrors the relentless conditions of the weather, its damp chill often seeping into everything along its muddy banks.
It’s here, under a tattered tarp meant to be a shelter, that Lane huddles. Her dog lays beside her, his fur matted and dull, an echo of her own weary spirit.
With no access to electricity, cooking is nearly impossible, Lane often settles for chips and other unhealthy snacks, a constant reminder of her limited choices. She will go without food, but her beloved dog never misses a meal. He is the closest thing she has to family, and she loves him.
The Stark Reality
Lane is in her thirties, and has been unhoused for over three years in the greater Sacramento basin in the small rural community of Colusa County. She is another precious soul that has fallen into the gaps of an over burdened behavioral health services system, that is facing growing competition from local health care providers, and online innovation challenges.
Once Upon a Time
Lane had the basics — place to live, a job, friends, saw a therapist weekly, attended wellness groups, and had a sense of routine. But meth has stripped that away, leaving her trapped in this desolate riverside existence, where bugs are a constant nuisance, and feelings of loss and hopelessness add to the stark reality of her life.
The Dope Beckons
Daily, the temptation of the meth pipe beckons, the promise of chemically-induced escape, and whispers of fleeting relief are often too powerful for Lane to overcome.
Sometimes, a flicker of desperation sends her towards the town’s daytime drop-in center, a safe-haven, where other homeless people in her small rural community are often present. A change of clothes, a breakfast muffin, and access to a computer are a fleeting reminder of what’s been lost, but shame gnaws at her. Shame, and the mental obsession that one more hit will make her pain go away.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat
Lane’s story is one repeated countless times across California, in big cities and small communities. It’s a story of human promise lost to addiction and untreated mental illness, and of the grim determination needed to survive ‘unhoused’ another day on the outskirts of society.
Statistically, Lane may be unable to find her way out of the cycle of addiction, mental health challenges, and homelessness without professional help and intervention.
Involuntary Care Offers Hope
For some, the Golden State’s new involuntary treatment law, Senate Bill 43 could be a life enhancing experience. It allows for the treatment of mental illness and substance use challenges in structured long-term care facilities, where severe at-risk individuals can get the care, treatment, and support services they need.
Pathway to Dignity and Renewal
Let Lane’s story serve as a poignant reminder of the pressing need for collective improvement. Together, let’s foster compassion, champion increased funding for mental health initiatives, bolster housing and support services, and strive for solutions that guarantee every Californian, who faces similar struggles to Lane, a pathway to dignity and the promise of renewal.
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The author wrote this article to raise awareness of Lane’s heartbreaking journey of homelessness and addiction in Colusa County. Join us in advocating for mental health support and housing for Lane in the City of Colusa.
Link to Colusa County Recovery
