Homelessness and the Mentally ILL

Several years ago, two women appeared at my door one evening, garbed in long dresses, no makeup, wearing head scarves, passing out religious brochures. The younger one introduced herself as a former neighbor, who had moved away a couple of years earlier after a divorce. I did not even recognize her,as before, she had been a beautiful blonde,fit, always perfectly made up and on her way to tennis practice in her short skirt, etc. Her son and mine were friends, but I rarely talked to her as she seemed to travel in a different social circle. Needless to say, I was shocked that this was the same person! She introduced the other woman as her mother. A few months later "Jan" (not her real name), showed up at my door again, this time alone, saying her mother had left town and that she, "Jan", was now "living on the streets" and sleeping in a neighborhood park. My husband and I allowed her to stay at our home for several days while I tried to find resources, a job, etc, for her, however she began showing severe schizophrenic behavior, and as I still had 2 children at home, my husband was emphatic that she not stay with us any longer. We paid for a couple of nights in a hotel for her. I contacted her ex-husband, who wanted nothing to do with her. He had remarried, had custody of their 2 sons and had "moved on". She also had a grown daughter from an earlier marriage who seemed to be completely out of the picture. Anyway, this is a long, heart-breaking story, but bottom line, "Jan" refused to go get help at a shelter and I was told by a social worker that unless it was proven that she was a danger to herself or others, she was allowed "to die with her rights on". She could not be forced to get help! I really had my eyes opened with that experience! Don't know what the answer is to all of this, but it is certainly a problem to be grappled with.