Navigating the mental health system is tough enough without the added stress of dealing with services that should be helping but instead seem to create more problems. My experience with Telecare has been a particularly frustrating chapter in this journey. What I hoped would be a supportive environment has turned out to be anything but. From staff who provoke rather than help to housing conditions that are nothing short of a ticking time bomb, Telecare has consistently failed to meet even the most basic expectations.
One of the most troubling aspects of my experience has been the behavior of the staff. Rather than providing the compassion and support that people with mental health challenges need, some staff members seem to go out of their way to provoke patients. Whether it’s through condescending attitudes, dismissive responses, or outright antagonism, these interactions often feel more like battles than care. This kind of treatment only adds fuel to the fire, exacerbating symptoms and making it even harder to cope with the challenges we already face.
But the issues don’t stop with the staff. The housing situation provided by Telecare is another glaring problem. The conditions are often substandard, with inadequate maintenance, lack of privacy, and environments that are anything but conducive to recovery. It’s as if the housing is designed to strip away any remaining sense of dignity. Instead of being a place of refuge, it feels like a temporary holding pen—one that could be taken away at any moment.
And that’s the crux of the issue. The instability of this housing often results in the unthinkable: homelessness. For many of us, the threat of losing our place is a constant source of anxiety. The reality is that the housing offered by Telecare is so precarious that one wrong move—or even no move at all—can lead to being out on the streets. This isn’t just a hypothetical risk; it’s a daily fear for many who rely on these services.
The mental health system is supposed to be a safety net, but for those of us dealing with Telecare, it often feels like the net is full of holes. Instead of being uplifted, we are often pushed to the edge, both mentally and physically. The lack of consistent, empathetic care combined with the ever-present threat of homelessness creates a perfect storm that makes it nearly impossible to find stability or peace of mind.
What I’ve learned through this experience is that we need to demand better. Mental health care should be about more than just managing crises; it should be about building a foundation for a stable and healthy life. That means having staff who are trained not just in clinical care but in basic human decency. It means providing housing that is safe, secure, and truly supportive, not just a temporary fix that could collapse at any moment.
Telecare and services like it need to be held accountable for the way they treat their patients. We deserve better than to be provoked, pushed around, and left to worry about where we’ll sleep next week. It’s time for a change, and it starts with raising our voices and demanding that these services live up to their promise of care and support. Until then, the struggle continues, but so does the hope that one day, things will be different.
