With no place for him to call home, N.L. mother pleads for help for son

If it wasn't for hismother's love, Tanner Alexander's family fears he'd be in jail,or worse.

As it is, the 25-year-old man from Stephenvillefaces significant challenges. Hehas schizophrenia and uses illicit drugs and, although he is in a recovery program, he's relapsed more than once.

But both his mother and experts agree he'd have a better chance at staying clean and well if he had a reliable place to sleep at night instead of hopping from couch to couch.

Wanda Cormier knows it's easy to dismiss her son when all you know of him is his drug use and panhandling in the town of Stephenville.

"That's the part that I find hard to swallow," she said.

"He's always had mental problems, his entire life, and then, yes, when he got older, he did do drugs. But it's almost like now he's just categorized as a drug user."

More than an addict

Alexander's childhood was chaotic.

His father died by suicide when he was four and his grandfather,Wanda's dad and his only other close male role model, died when he was ten.

Cormier said her son's formative years were filled with behaviour problems and eventually, hospital admissions.

Alexander was diagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactive disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. He was uncooperative andinattentive, and wouldn't do what was expected of him at school or at home.

Cormier said her son's first hospitalization for mental health reasons was at the age of nine, to the Janeway's mental health unit.

Since then, he's also been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

He began using drugs in his late teens and eventually became addicted to opioids.However, for the past two yearshe's been on a drug treatment program that involves injections to prevent withdrawal.

Nowhere to go

Cormier said Alexander's biggest obstacle to getting clean has been finding a suitable, long-term housing arrangement.

She sees him every day and helps with groceries, meals and laundry. But Cormier said her son can't live with her because she has pre-teen children and hisbehaviours can be unsettling.

Alexander's judgment and critical thinking skills aren't what you'd expect of a 25-year-old man, she said.

So, in spite of her concerns about his safety and the potential for relapse, Cormier is resigned to the fact that Alexander has no other option but to couch-surf, living in four different places in just the last six months.

"It's not easy doing it. You just gotta keep finding new places to live," said Alexander of his frequent relocations.

"I'd rather have my own place and have a support worker than be moving around like this, because it's just annoying because I got to keep carrying my stuff everywhere."

For the same reason Alexander can't live at his mother's house, it's also difficult for him to live with others. He doesn't follow a set schedule, is awake at odd hours, and can be paranoid that others are against him, Cormier said.

He's also become known around town for panhandling, which his mother said prevents landlords from taking him on as a tenant.

Looking for support

Cormier believes her son's mental health issues warrantsupportive housing.

"My opinion is he should have his own place, something that he can have that is his own, and probably have someone come in, like a worker, come in and help him," she said.

"Not to be out on the streets and sleeping on a couch here and there."

I know the statistics and I know, in our region, we are at a crisis moment.- TiannaButler

Alexander's doctor for his drug rehab treatment agrees.

Dr. Todd Young runs a travelling methadone and suboxone treatment program and has met with Alexander regularly, either in person or by teleconference, to monitor his progress.

The lack of housing complicates Alexander's recovery, Young said, because often other drug users live in the places where Alexander couch-surfs, making it easy for him to relapse.

"I think the solution has to be supervised housing in a clean environment that, at the end of the day, both Tanner and his mother feel that he's getting adequate support, supervision, and he's protected by the system."

Alexander is connected with that systemas a client of income support, provided through the Department of Advanced Education, Skills andTraining.

Cormier has sought help from several government agencies including social workers with the Western Regional Health Authority and the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporationbut said she's hit roadblocks

Alone, but not alone

Alexander's story is sadly all too familiar as many patients in treatment for drug addictions suffer from a lack of stable housing, Young said.

Tianna Butler, western coordinator of the Canadian Mental Health Association, agrees that housing and wellness go hand in hand.

The picture for that isn't good for the Stephenville area, where her office is located, Butler said.

"I know the statistics and I know, in our region, we are at a crisis moment," she said.

"We have a huge number of our youth population, for example, ages 18 to 29, who do not have adequate stable housing, who do not have a safe place to stay on a regular basis."

Help at last?

Plans are being made for a supportive housing unit in Stephenville, as a result of a partnership between community groups and the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.

When contacted by CBC about Tanner Alexander's housing situation, NLHC said it can't speak about any individual for privacy reasons but, in an email, said that it recognizes the important role housing plays in making it possible for people to address other issues in their lives.

The day after CBC contacted NLHC, Wanda Cormier said the housing corporation contacted her to arrange a meeting with Alexander. That meetingis scheduled to take place Thursday.

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