By definition, homelessness causes trauma and unmet mental health needs.

Those experiencing the trauma of homelessness lack the resources to adequately meet those mental health needs, creating a vicious cycle that perpetuates homelessness. Unmet mental health needs are often both a symptom and cause of homelessness.

Within 72 hours of arriving at a shelter, all guests have a mental health assessment with Highland Rivers Health. Case managers help resource each guests’ particular needs, which might range from medication to peer support to in-patient stabilization. We partner with organizations across our community to meet the complexity of mental health needs of our guests.

Over 60% of our guests arrive with a mental health diagnosis – meeting those unmet mental health needs is often the first and most critical task.

Providing counseling services in-house allows The Davies Shelters to meet those unmet mental health needs more effectively and help our guests reach stability sooner.

Weekly group counseling and individual counseling sessions are provided by our Director of Operations, Brian Harris, LAPC. In addition, our Lead Case Manager, Alex Callahan, will complete his MA in psychology at the University of West Georgia in December 2021 and apply for licensure as an LAPC in 2022.

To hear more about the intersection of poverty and mental health as well as our in-house counseling program, listen to our podcast with Brian Harris.

Additionally, we able to offer counseling to a limited number of outside clients to help fund a session for a guest free of charge. If interested visit daviesshelter.com/counseling to learn more.