Ryan embraces homeless recovery journey

This is Ryan, the young man who just last week was snagged by our street engagement net. He has given me permission to tell his story -- and, his story is as revealing as it is engrossing. You may recall, it was the extended reach of a law enforcement contingent that corralled the youthful and sometimes wayward soul while loafing in front of a Town N' Country Wal-Mart. The long arm of the law at the Sheriff's Office is not only an expression of enforcement it also applies to assistance for homeless recovery and rehabilitation.

The trap is always set the same way: a disheveled and apparent homeless persona lingering and beset with troubles delivers a complaint -- and, a complaint delivers the police. Soon enough my cell-phone rings with the responding officer on the other end requesting my assistance. It's a snare that has proven its merit time and again.

Meeting a homeless candidate for the first time, rarely -- if ever, do I have a plan in mind prior to my arrival on-scene. Most cases share common elements of despair and misalignment but a recovery template isn't put into motion until a one-on-one assessment reveals the true sum and substance of individual problems.

Ryan is not an ordinary case -- he speaks with the articulation of a highly lawyered memo while renouncing the urges of his malignant and unyielding past. Standing next to a vending machine its a sluggish dullness that comes to mind when describing his physical demeanor -- even so, he breaks through the cloud to talk about his troubles with a sharp wit.  Its during this first meeting where I'm looking for the flicker of a flame: motivation, desire, the need to change and I feel Ryan has all of these. In these early assessment stages I've learned to keep tepid restraint on my side -- even with Ryan's immediate personal acknowledgement with undisguised imperfections I still see him as a mixed bag of tricks.

Two weeks has past since I started working with Ryan and in this time he has already experienced both set-backs and mishaps -- a lost birth certificate, a stolen backpack, a missing cell-phone -- each is a stumbling block. When called to task on the details he pushes back with a furrowed forehead and out-of-kilter eyebrow. Suddenly his articulation takes a backseat to hazy and mysterious happenings which escapes his grasp. Its like flipping a switch and I call him out demanding more clarification -- he doesn't like it. Sitting at a lunch counter there is a silence that Ryan rarely speaks. It might be the first impasse and the first time someone has demanded his personal accountability when his life's decisions run a muck. When I find resistance, I push back with an implied ultimatum because without accountability he's not moving forward -- at least not with me. 

This is the dawning of Ryan's rehabilitation -- the critical moment in time -- where before, maybe he was used to getting a hall pass -- he'll soon learn that he will get no hall pass from me. Everyone must have skin in the game and it's his personal accountability I'm looking for. His silence is broken with an explanation that resolves the awkward but necessary stand-off. We clean the slate and move forward, and with this minor step I see Ryan coming around.

Some time has past since me and Ryan first met, he has since taken the bull by the horns. Now, a week or so later, he is stabilized enough that I can help him work on his underlying problems. I have hope for Ryan because he stays in touch and that is an enduring demonstration of his innate desire for personal change. Its an early Friday afternoon when we reunite at his grandmother's Town N' Country home. This is nothing more than a pit stop for a shower, shave and some fresh clothes before he has to leave again.

"I may have burned some bridges here," Ryan says. I have only proven to my grandmother I can't be trusted when left alone."

He accepts this as his own doing.  We get loaded up in the squad car and after a two week delay we finally get started on his plan for recovery.

A plan comes to order -- 

As a matter of business I have to decide how best to spend my time and who to spend it with to be the most productive on the streets. The general consensus of law enforcement philosophy leans in the direction of  assistance for those that are younger and those that are elder. Ryan is no child -- he's a man -- but he's very salvageable, and I believe our net has caught him early enough for a dramatic turnaround so I press forward.  

Ryan meets members of the Sheriff's Office

My first concern with breaking Ryan's cycle of dependency and homelessness is his isolated independence. He admits that his self styled white-knuckled approach has only delivered more set backs and he reveals a startling admission:

"I owe you a debt of gratitude, I've learned in the last two weeks that I can't solve my problem alone -- I need to ask for help." Ryan explains.

I was taken back by his free expression, particularly so early in his journey. I had to sit back in my seat for a moment without saying anything -- I was watching the profound effects of front seat therapy manifestly appear right before my eyes.

Admittedly, I am not well versed with the tenets of addiction and recovery and I have just begun to understand the underlying causation of homelessness. My demand for honesty is a two way street and I'd be foolish to believe that I could bluff my way through it with the likes of Ryan's engrained manifesto.

Months ago I enlisted Albert Swiger as my foot soldier and prepared him for the day that I would be calling upon him. I have never asked for anything in return when I help one of my homeless candidates off the street, but I do ask that they help someone in need just like I helped them.

Today was the day I was going to call in Swiger's marker.

I wanted Ryan to see the end game of recovery in the present tense -- surreptitiously showboating Swiger's accomplishments to do it. We arrived at his West Chase job-site where Ryan is greeted by Swiger -- at some point the natural order of events take hold and the duo enter into a cryptic conversation.

It's was the conversation I was hoping that would take place. Ryan now has his support structure -- a fellow brethren who delivers  some words of advice:

"If I can do it, you can do it." Albert tells Ryan. "Here is my cell phone number, call me when you need to, I'm here for you ..."


Deputy Steven Donaldson
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Homeless Initiative
District III Office: (813) 247-0330
Email: sdonalds@hcso.tamp.fl.us
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