VOA英语2010年-California Center Offers Support

Many of the chronically² homeless suffer from mental illness, and experts say that psychiatric treatment is an important step in resolving their homelessness. The challenge is -- finding a place for them to live and getting them into treatment.

On any given day, more than half a million people are homeless in the United States.

The problem is stubborn. Officials say more than one in five of the chronically homeless suffers from mental illness and is hard to reach.

At a center called Step Up on Second -- on Second Street in Santa Monica, California -- some have found permanent housing and emotional support.

 
VOA - M. O'Sullivan
Jacob Ramsey
Jacob Ramsey copes with manic depression and says that after years on the street, he has gotten the help he needs and is helping³ others.

"Somebody said to me, you're in Los Angeles now. You're in Hollywood. Everyone has a psychiatrist⁴ here," Ramsey said. "So I listened to them."

The center offers friendship and encourages self-expression through discussion groups and art classes.

It offers help in getting a job. Les Jones teaches technology skills. He has suffered from mental illness for most of his life, and 15 years ago, his sister suggested he see a doctor. "There was so much stigma⁵ within my own mind that I didn't do it. Five years later, I was down and out again. I've spent about a good half of my adult life homeless, and it was really tough not knowing what in the heck was going on," he said. "Finally, I said, you know, maybe sis was right, and I sought some help. And it's one of the best things I ever did."

Step Up's chief executive Tod Lipka says psychiatric treatment is crucial and members get it at outside facilities. "We're not a clinic where someone comes in once a week or once a month for their medication and support," Lipka explains. "It's a place where people can thrive and be connected with each other."

Step Up is expanding to new neighborhoods and its comprehensive approach is getting attention.

It recently celebrated⁶ the purchase of two buildings in Hollywood that will be converted to permanent housing with support services.

Los Angeles County supervisor⁷ Zev Yaroslavsky says private groups and public officials are now addressing the problem of the thousands of homeless people on the streets.

"Not only should we do something, we can do something," Yaroslavsky said. "We have a road map on how to solve chronic¹ homelessness. We know what needs to be done. We have the instruction manual. Let's just get it done."

Those who work with the homeless say some cities around the United States, including New York and San Francisco, are making progress in reducing the number of homeless, and that by creating permanent supportive communities, homelessness can finally be ended.

1 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

2 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

5 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。