Many homeless persons living in our community suffer from mental illness, alcoholism and drug abuse. Living on the streets may make it hard for some to find the needed help for their problems.

WGNS asked Michael Rabkin, Director of Media Relations at the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services how a homeless person can go about finding the help they may need…

What Rabkin is referring to are police officers. If and when a homeless person is arrested, Rabkin suggested that police officers are trained to look for signs of mental illness and can point the homeless in the right direction to seek help. There are even Criminal Justice Mental Health Liaisons.

To learn more call 615-532-6500. You can also visit tn.gov/mental.

Hear the entire WGNS interview with Michael Rabkin (7 min, 27 sec)…

See the WGNS video interviews with local homeless persons in Murfreesboro, TN below.