Making Meaning of Citizenship: Mental Illness, Forensic Involvement, and Homelessness

Abstract

Individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and criminal justice involvement who experience homelessness are often marginalized and have difficulty achieving community inclusion. A framework of citizenship provides a basis for understanding the components of integration necessary to achieve status as a member of one's community. A citizenship “map” was presented to focus groups of persons with mental illness and histories of criminal justice charges and of homelessness. Participants discussed the items most salient to them, and several themes emerged. These may inform interventions in community mental health systems and allow for further analysis of a citizenship measure derived from the citizenship map.

Keywords:

• citizenship
• homelessness
• criminal justice involvement
• community-based mental health services