Amador County's "invisible" homeless population may no longer be invisible.

A recent survey by the Central Sierra Continuum of Care suggested that more than 200 homeless people might be scattered throughout the county's remote corners and enclaves. The development has given local experts hope that a new sense of urgency has taken hold of the general public, as well as elected officials - and with it bringing about an increased willingness to attack the problem.

"The board of supervisors is taking these findings very seriously," said Lynn Thomas, community services program manager for the county's Behavioral Health Department. "A lot of individuals and community groups and organizations are also wanting to help. I think we're seeing an atmosphere where people are feeling a need to take action."

Thomas will be helping lead that charge by heading up a new housing task force called The Mental Health Services Act Housing Work Group. A combination of mental health experts, local homeless and mental illness advocates and various churches and community organizations, the MHSA Housing Work Group will look to create both transitional and permanent housing for individuals challenged by mental illness, a population that contributes significantly to homelessness in the area.

Presently, the work group has $501,800 to work with, paid for by state funding. At the group's second meeting on April 1, it was established that they would be looking to create one or two housing facilities for the most underserved homeless sub-groups identified in the recent survey. The first of these sub-groups falls under the category of "dual-diagnosis." These are individuals who have mental health issues that are further complicated by substance abuse.

According to Reid Mackey, a local homeless advocate, the need for a temporary housing facility that could help such people is obvious, as both types of conditions make it impossible for them to stay at Amador County's regular homeless shelter, which is run as a refuge for entire families that sometimes include small children by the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency.     

The other sub-group is defined as "transitional age," meaning boys and girls who are turned out of foster home situations once they turn 18, without skills or a support network to keep off the streets.

Sheryl Barghoorn, who runs True Transitions, a half-way house for young people, is highly supportive of making the "transitional age" demographic a top priority. "I know for a fact that there are a lot of turned-out former foster children in the community who are now homeless," Barghoorn told the Housing Work Group.

With the new group having defined its basic mission statement Wednesday night, the search for an ideal location to purchase or build a facility is moving forward. Two real estate agents who are volunteering to help have suggested that the nation's current mortgage crisis may present a rare opportunity to purchase a good-sized building at a reasonable price.

Despite this, George Chimiklis, a management consultant working for Behavioral Health, warned that the half-million dollars worth of funding only covers the initial property purchases and start-up costs. Chimiklis said the continued operation of the facilities would likely require major support from the public and a broad coalition of groups and agencies.

"We need to identify and seek out the people who can assist in making this happen," Chimiklis explained to the group. "Sometimes people get involved and help, but first they want to know who they can trust and how the money they give will be used in an effective way."

Thomas thinks that, in light of the recent homeless survey, the time is right to get that message out. "We have groups locally, like the Amador Community Foundation, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Set Free Ministries that want to jump in and do something," she said. "We've got county supervisors, like John Plasse, who are learning everything they can about the issue. And most importantly, many of the people we've spoken to in this community seem to be thinking of mentally ill people as being on a journey to recovery - as people who will be working again and productive again with help. It's very encouraging."