“It’s our responsibility to make sure no one dies in the forest,” said a seasoned human services provider.

“You mean, we need to make sure people have supplies and the knowledge of how to take care of themselves when living on public land?” I asked.

“No, I’m saying it’s literally on us. It’s our responsibility as a community to take care of everyone who comes into our geographic area. It’s beyond providing socks, trash bags, portable food, and resources lists. We are morally responsible for their wellbeing.” His voice rose to a shout.

Within a week I was sitting in another meeting hearing from a different, but also seasoned, human services provider. “I’m so sick of it,” he said. “People have the right to live how they want to. If someone wants to live in the woods, camping, living on other people’s generosity, they can. As long as they’re not breaking any laws, it’s not my business.”

“What about people who have mental illnesses, or are living with addiction? What about people in domestic violence relationships?” I asked, thinking of the conversation from the previous week.

“Yeah, it’s terrible,” he sat there shaking his head. “People are in awful situations. And if anyone wants help, I have a list of resources a mile long to give them. But I’m not going to force someone into treatment, a hospital, or a shelter. That’s against my personal ethics.”

“If only mental health counseling was free and available to everyone,” she sighed, while taking a break from the latest meeting.

“Why do you think that?” I asked.

“Well if it was free, then everyone could get help and we wouldn’t have any more people living with untreated mental illness, addictions, or unresolved trauma.” She pointed her finger in the air for emphasis. “That would fix this whole ‘unhoused/homeless’ debate.”

“But what if people don’t want to go to counseling? Or they go, but they don’t want to change? Or they aren’t in a state of mind to keep appointments, let alone address the trauma they’ve survived?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” She looked at me, incredulous.

The Transtheoretical Model of Change, widely used today, was initially developed, and then refined, by James Prochaska and Carlo Di Celemente in 1977. It outlines six stages of change: pre-contemplation (“I’m fine!”), contemplation (“I might need some help”), preparation (“I’ll make a small change”), action (“I’ll try changes for a few months”), maintenance (“I’ve been implementing changes for over six months”), and termination (“The changes are now integrated into my normal life, even in times of stress”).

The fields of addiction and domestic violence have been model disciplines with change theory, demonstrating that a person’s stage of change sets the course for what next steps are possible. Are we morally responsible for those people who enter our community, even if only for a little while? Are we bound by our personal ethics to honor the individual sovereignty of the human beings around us? What impact would free mental health, or free health care in general, have on our society?

These are not easy questions with simple answers, but they are important questions worth talking about with our neighbors and community members. While we’re thinking about change, let’s take some time this week to look at our own lives. What is a change you’ve been thinking about making for a while, and where does it fit in the six stages of change? Is there some step you might be able to take to move to the next stage?

I’d love to hear about your experiences at amy@peaktopeakcounseling.com, 303-258-7454, and you can always find past articles at www.peaktopeakcounseling.com or find us at www.facebook.com/peaktopeakcounselingservices.