Health

Helping People Turn their Lives Around

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By José A. Álvarez

When you meet her, you can’t help but notice the compassion in her eyes. Her caring personality is immediately apparent.

“It’s freezing out there. Where is your jacket?” Sally Dunn asks me before we head out. Dunn is a licensed mental health clinician with the County Health and Human Services Agency, and I’m following her as she works.

It’s a chilly, rainy day and Sally is getting ready for one of her two weekly visits to the Rachel’s Women’s Center, a clean and sober drop-in center for homeless women in downtown San Diego. Operated by Catholic Charities, the Center is partially funded by the County.

After my repeated reassurances that I don’t need a jacket, Sally still insists on offering an extra one she has in her office at the Mental Health Services facility on Morena Blvd.
It’s that same compassion and caring personality that have earned Sally her clients’ trust and respect.

The majority of homeless people Sally works with suffer from mental illness, substance abuse issues or both.

“I go to homeless shelters and other facilities and see people with a mental illness and try to get them to see a psychiatrist, get them on medication,” says Dunn, who has been working with the homeless for the past 12 years. “I go wherever I need to go. People with a mental illness can be victimized on the streets. Bad things happen to them because they can’t think clearly.”

Sally’s goal is to connect them to mental health services and other resources that will help them recover.

“Saint Sally”

Her popularity among the homeless is such that some people refer to her as “Saint Sally,” a description Sally finds embarrassing because she believes she is simply doing what she is supposed to do.

“I love what I do,” she says. “It doesn’t take much to make people very happy.”

It’s not just homeless individuals who are extremely happy with the invaluable assistance Sally provides. Representatives from organizations she works with also hold her in high esteem.

“She’s our lifeline here. We love Sally,” says Lucky Michael, a Recovery Specialist at Rachel’s Women’s Center. 

She’s our lifeline here. We love Sally.
-Lucky Michael,
 Rachel Women’s Center

“Homeless people are very suspicious. They share things with her they would not feel comfortable letting us know,” adds Michael as she watches Sally bring in bags of clothes donated by some of her other clients.

She passes by a line of women waiting their turn at the clothing room. A ticket they earned for doing chores will get them an item of clothing.

“Sally helps people navigate through the system,” says Michael. “She listens with her entire spirit. She hears everything they have to say.”

At a corner table in the dining area, Sally is now talking to an elderly woman. She was the first one on Sally’s list, which typically includes dozens of names.

In the common area, about two dozen women—of all ages and ethnic backgrounds—sit in seven couches and chairs. Some read books and magazines. Others listen to music or play with their cell phones. Several women just rest in the comfy sofas after a hard night on the streets. Sally is now calling the other names on the list. No one responds.

Apparently some women feel anxious about my presence – a strange man in the room- but as soon as they’re told I’m with Sally, their anxiety seems to disappear.

“I’ll talk to you,” says a woman sitting on a chair right below the hanging quilt created by some of the women at the Center. Sally sits next to the woman and leans closer to her to keep the conversation confidential.

After a few minutes, the woman is visibly shaken and begins to cry. Sally comforts her and she composes herself. She looks more calm and collected.

“Sally is so effective. She relates well with the women,” says Antoinette Fallon, Rachel’s Women’s Center Director. “She has respect for them and the women feel that.”

Helping the Homeless

Of the more than 9,000 homeless people in the region, 25 percent suffer from mental illness.
Momo is one of them. She has just walked into the Center. She is wearing a tank top and khaki pants. Sally immediately notices her.

“I’ll be right with you,” Sally tells Momo as she finishes her conversation with another client.

Momo became homeless three years ago after she got arrested, lost her green card, and subsequently her job and her home.

“She’s a really wonderful person. She has a big heart,” says Momo, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is now on medication. “She is really great.”

Sally comes over and greets Momo with a hug.

“Aren’t you cold?” Sally asks Momo. Momo shrugs her shoulders as she steps aside to speak with Sally.

“You look really good,” Sally tells Momo, who has just informed her that in a few days she will meet with a lawyer who will help with her immigration issues.

“You are completely set,” Sally tells Momo before both women disappear.

After a few minutes, they come back. Momo is now wearing a blue sweater and a pink and black hooded jacket; things Sally has brought for her.

“I didn’t know whether it would fit, but it fits perfectly,” says Sally before giving Momo a ride to a bike shop nearby.

Only Momo knows what her next destination may be.

I return to my office, impressed by the devotion and accomplishments of one hard-working woman.

If you or someone you know is suffering from a mental health challenge or substance abuse problem, help is available at the County’s Access and Crisis Line at (800) 479-3339.