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SALT LAKE CITY — The face of homelessness in Salt Lake City's Rio Grande neighborhood may look hopeless. But Salt Lake police officers and social workers have teamed up to try to change that picture. And the new partnership already appears to have created some positive results.
Inside a counseling room in the Salt Lake Community Connection Center, social worker Jessica Carter talks with her client Michael. He tells her, "I've got the fire in me now." "You do?" Carter replies. Michael says he most definitely does and Carter agrees he is "getting stuff done."
It's a daily occurrence here where social workers are trying to help clients like Michael slowly work their way off the streets and the drugs that put them there. Michael proudly shares with Carter that "I can't believe I've been clean for 31 days now. I haven't relapsed even once and I haven't thought about going back to Spice."
Lana Dalton is the social work manager for the Salt Lake City police. "Since we opened in July of 2016, we've had over 2,000 individuals walk through our door (Community Connection Center) asking for different services whether that be anything from housing to substance use disorder treatment," she said.
Dalton heads up a team of social workers who joined the police force this summer. Their assignment is to bring counseling services into the heart of the Rio Grande neighborhood.
Outside the center and just down the street, some familiar faces walk and often bike through the Rio Grande neighborhood. Detectives with the Homeless Outreach Service Team (HOST) have gotten to know many of the people who frequent the area around the Road Home shelter and Pioneer Park.
Today, the officers will try to coax a homeless woman with mental health issues out of her frigid tent and into counseling. HOST detective Mike McKenna pokes his head inside the tent and asks, "What is it going to take to get you to come in and see one of our caseworkers?"
So far, the partnership between these cops and social workers has been effective. HOST detective Brandi Palmer says, "They (social workers) just have lots of resources and knowledge that we tap into."
And if some of the homeless won't come inside to get help, the social workers do house calls, taking their training directly to the streets.
Tim Keffer is one of the Salt Lake police social workers, and he visits the woman's tent to reassure her on this bitter cold afternoon. "We'll get you something to eat and something to drink and we'll figure out what to do for tonight," says Keffer.
The idea is to move clients into counseling when they're ready. "Having the desire to change in that moment and giving them that opportunity to make that change when they want to is important," says Dalton.
Back in the counseling room, Michael says, "I just wish people would be a little more supportive and stop being so judgmental."
It is a frustrating situation for people trying to get help. "I think that it's really important to show the community that people do want to obtain treatment, it's just a matter of getting them to where they need to go," says Dalton.
It's also tough for social workers and officers to convince the public that change is happening. "If you look at it as a whole, it doesn't look like there's much being done, not much progress being made," McKenna said.
But Michael says, "There are some people that are trying hard to make an effort out here on the streets."
Social workers and detectives see that effort and believe logging one victory at a time will add up. "Having just that success and seeing the smile on their face alone is a good day," says Dalton.
McKenna agrees. "One day at a time, one person at a time, and hopefully we'll get there, make a difference."
Right now, there are five social workers on staff at the Salt Lake City Police Department, but that number is climbing. The department is in the process of hiring three more social workers, and then it will assess whether more are needed later this year.
