When Sandra Fowler lost her job as a hotel manager in March, she thought of the many homeless people sleeping on the streets of Tucson, Arizona, and feared she would soon be among them. I could mentally see myself on the street, says Fowler, 58. That type of anxiety is what kept me up at night . I was planning on being homeless because I didn t know how I was going to make it.
It took Fowler eight months to find a job in a shipping-and-packing store that replaced her previous $42,000 salary with a part-time position that pays $12 an hour. Her wages are barely enough to keep a roof over her head and not enough to steadily put food on the table.
Every day I have to go to work and put on a smile for strangers when I’m literally breaking inside because my finances are just totally out of whack, Fowler says. Mentally it’s going to take me a while to get back to a place where I feel safe financially, where I know I’m going to be OK.’’
Mental toll of COVID-19
The physical toll of COVID-19 is stark, with more than 484,000 dead, and over 27 million infected in the U.S. But among the millions of Americans who lost jobs during the economic downturn sparked by the pandemic, or who have seen their hours and wages cut, the toll on mental health is also widespread.
Bucks County officials are targeting the much anticipated start of their mental health court before the end of the year, but a critical component of it could be operating as soon as this summer.
Commissioners Chairwoman Diane Ellis-Marseglia confirmed a plan is being developed to open a new forensic diversion and treatment center that would provide services to individuals referred by the courts.
Bucks is the only county in the Philadelphia region that does not have a mental health court, which helps people with persistent uncontrolled serious mental illness avoid the criminal justice system, which is not equipped to handle their complex needs.