Mateo Lodge

 The Support Team was one of the first outreach teams of its kind in California in 1986. Working 24/7 to help the increasing number of homeless mentally ill on the streets, assist with food, medication monitoring,and  assist to doctor appointments to avoid hospitalizations. This team was started by the need to go where others would not, under bridges, behind buildings,and where the homeless were. They had to find the ones who were seriously mentally ill,  build up their trust enough to get them the treatment they needed.  When I started working at Cassia House in 1993, it was the main office for the agency and the team. It wasn't unusual to find a half dozen people waiting on the porch to get help from the team. They wanted a bed to sleep in for the night, a hot meal,and a place they felt safe. Ian was and still is CEO of the agency, and he started the team. He always stays close to the clients we help because they are the most important work that needs to be done. He is a delightful charming Englishman, with energy and compassion to lift-up even the most down-trodden individual. It was common for me to talk to those on the porch waiting, bring them drinks and food while they hoped for someone to help them with their varied needs. I always remember one individual who for years would come to the window outside my desk and tap on the glass asking for his check, barely able to talk to me. Charley (not his real name), had been on the streets for years, and they called him "the sweeper," because local merchants would give him a broom and he would sweep the streets. One day he came to Cassia house to rest and had a cast on his leg. Ian told me it wasn't unusual for the homeless to be taken advantage of, and that is why he would help Charley cash his check and get him a room and food for a few days because he was an "easy target" with money on the streets alone. The next week Charley showed up at Cassia House holding a butter knife. It wasn't a very good weapon, but it told Ian that Charley was afraid, and the people who had hurt him before were still trying. He decided for his safety, the best place for him was the hospital. It took awhile, but the transformation with the new medications was amazing. Charley was able to tell everyone his real name, that he was a veteran who deserved medical services, and he was able to live at Cassia House, one of Mateo Lodges' licensed Board and Care Residences with 24- hour care. Charley was able to progress from there and now lives in an apartment with other consumers. He continues to be followed by our case management team to ensure he has his medication, maintains his apartment, sees his doctors, and lives an enjoyabe life.