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Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health

Homelessness and Mental Health Access — Rachel Jackson (Project Compassion NFP)

Hosts: Kelly Poelker & Delisa Richardson | Guest: Rachel Jackson (Founder & Clinician, Project Compassion NFP) | Category: Homelessness · Access to Care · Culture & Stigma
Belleville, IL’s Rachel Jackson shares frontline perspective on how homelessness, poverty, and culture intersect with mental health—and what compassionate, practical care looks like: access barriers and long waitlists, crisis stabilization, clinician fit (including clinicians of color), and trauma-informed relationships that keep people safer before crisis hits.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:44 — 28.9MB) | Embed

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What You’ll Learn

  • Why access to ongoing care is the #1 barrier for many unhoused and low-income neighbors—and how long waitlists escalate risk.
  • How to stabilize in the moment and make a warm, trusted handoff to care that sticks.
  • How language, trust, and culture reduce stigma—especially in Black and brown communities.
  • Why clinician “fit” matters, ways to find one (including clinicians of color), and what volunteers must know to avoid trauma bonding.
  • Steps anyone can take when they notice warning signs—at home, at work, at school, or in the community.

Guest Spotlight

Rachel Jackson is the founder of Project Compassion NFP, serving thousands across the Metro East since 2005 with food, clothing, hygiene supplies, housing assistance, free therapy, a diaper/formula bank, and a welcoming community space. A certified trauma-informed clinician and Mental Health First Aid instructor, Rachel leverages deep local relationships to reduce barriers and deliver dignifying care.

Key Quotes

“Every crisis requires stabilization—start there, then make the right handoff.”
“If people don’t feel connected to their clinician, treatment won’t work.”
“In our communities, ‘crazy’ became a generational label. We have to relearn the language of mental health.”
“You can be therapeutic without being a therapist—set boundaries and avoid trauma bonding.”

Resources & Next Steps

Next Episode

Up next: building “warm handoff” networks—how volunteers, schools, and clinics can shorten the distance from ask to aid.

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Crisis Resources

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7, free, confidential). For help outside the U.S., find your country’s hotline via Find A Helpline.

Disclaimer

The conversations in this show are for education and awareness only and are not medical, counseling, or crisis services. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional for concerns about your mental health or safety.

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