A Windsor mother is working to change attitudes about homelessness and addiction. Jodi Nesbitt now has the backing of Unifor’s Ontario Council in pushing for increased awareness and supports for family members whose loved ones are homeless or struggling with addiction. Nesbitt is the President of Unifor Local 240 and proud mother to her son, now 31, who has been struggling for more than a decade with addiction which has now translated into homelessness. “My son doesn’t think he’s sick,” Nesbitt told CTV News. Her son checks in frequently – or whenever he has access to phone – and Nesbitt tracks him down to make sure he’s as well as can be. Nesbitt recalled one visit this past summer. “To have no shoes and be wearing a winter coat in 100-degree weather, that’s not somebody that’s able to make up their mind and make a choice on whether to be treated or not,” Nesbitt said. “He’s not well enough. And we’re missing that.” Nesbitt is pushing for more respect and acknowledgment of the valuable information family members can have into their loved ones’ health and ultimate behaviour. “When I shared with the psychiatrist, they thought that I was a paranoid mom,” Nesbitt said in reflecting on when she believes her son’s troubles started at age 19. Over the years since, Nesbitt said she is dismissed or left out of her son’s care decisions. “The doctor decided that he was competent enough to decide whether he wanted that care or not. And he took him off of a community treatment order and within two and a half months, he was homeless,” Nesbitt said. Unifor has now also agreed to examine how many members might be in a similar situation to Nesbitt. The union’s goal is to provide increased supports for those members and bring awareness to employers to what their staff might be going through. “We’re going into the workplaces and oftentimes we’re struggling because we’ve been up all night. There’s been police at our doors or our loved one has come to our doors,” Nesbitt said. Since sharing her personal story, Nesbitt has been overwhelmed by the number of people who are in a similar situation, with a loved one living on the streets and/or struggling with an addiction. So much so, Nesbitt wants to hold a Family Town Hall on Jan. 17, so families can share their stories and gain some support from each other. “It tears families apart at first because you’re panicked. You want to save your child’s life,” Nesbitt said. “It’s a very lonely place to be when you don’t have anybody that’s walked that journey. And there’s a lot of shame and guilt as a family member that you can’t fix it. What people need to know is you’re not alone. It’s nothing that you’ve done.” If you would like to participate in Nesbitt’s Town Hall, email her at jodi@uniforlocal240.ca.
