Stop Passing the Buck: Seeing the Person Behind the Crisis

I had the privilege of attending the Mental Health & Criminal Justice Round Table hosted by Better Together Thursday July 2, 2026. I left with pages of notes, a mind full of questions, and, surprisingly, a heart full of hope.

Not because we solved the problems our community faces.

We did not.

But because, for perhaps the first time in a long time, I felt like we were talking about the real problem.

The Real Question Isn't "Who Can Help?"

It is "Who Will?"

Throughout the discussion, one theme kept surfacing.

When someone is in a mental health crisis...When someone is struggling with addiction...When someone has attempted suicide...When someone keeps cycling through the criminal justice system...

What happens?

Too often, we pass the buck.

"This is not our responsibility."

"We do not have the funding."

"We cannot afford the liability."

"We might get sued."

"We do not have the resources."

"We are not equipped."

So the person is referred somewhere else.

Then somewhere else.

Then somewhere else.

Eventually, they are no longer seen as a person in crisis.

They are seen as someone else's responsibility.

And that's where people begin falling through the cracks.

There Is a Person Behind Every Referral

One thing that has stayed with me since the meeting is this:

Every referral represents a human being.

A mother.

A father.

A son.

A daughter.

Someone's best friend.

Someone's child.

Someone made in the image of God.

Yet somewhere along the way, systems can become so focused on policies, liability, budgets, and procedures that we unintentionally lose sight of the person standing in front of us.

Yes, organizations have limitations. Every agency has regulations it must follow. Funding is limited. Staff are stretched thin. Liability is a real consideration.

Those challenges are real.

But they should not cause us to stop asking, "What can we do?"

Fear Has Become Part of the Conversation

One thing I recognized during the discussion is that fear influences many decisions.

Fear of liability.

Fear of making the wrong decision.

Fear of legal consequences.

Fear of not having enough resources.

Those fears are understandable. They exist for many organizations and professionals working in incredibly difficult situations.

As a Christian, I also find encouragement in remembering that fear does not have to control how we respond to people. Scripture reminds us that "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..." (1 John 4:18).

That does not remove the need for wisdom or appropriate boundaries, but it reminds me that compassion should remain at the center of our work.

Compassion Still Needs Boundaries

Another honest part of this conversation is recognizing that not every person who asks for help is immediately ready to receive it.

Anyone who works in mental health or recovery knows this.

Some people manipulate systems.

Some return over and over without engaging in treatment.

Some decline the help that is offered.

That reality can become discouraging.

But we cannot allow difficult experiences with some individuals to harden our hearts toward everyone else.

Healthy boundaries matter.

Accountability matters.

Providing resources instead of enabling unhealthy behavior matters.

There is a difference between enabling and empowering.

Our goal should never be to rescue people from every consequence.

Our goal should be to make sure that when someone is ready for help, they know where to find it and that someone is willing to walk beside them.

Small Steps Lead to Big Change

As I drove home from the meeting, I realized something.

We are not going to fix this overnight.

There is not one agency that can solve it.

There is not one nonprofit.

There is not one church.

There is not one hospital.

There is not one law enforcement officer.

There is not one judge.

There is not one counselor.

There is not one recovery program.

But together?

Together we begin building something stronger than any one organization could build alone.

That's why these conversations matter.

Every meeting helps us better understand where the gaps are.

Every partnership helps close one more crack.

Every conversation builds trust between agencies that have often worked separately for years.

Those may seem like small steps.

But small steps, taken consistently, eventually become giant leaps.

It Starts With Us

One sentence has continued to echo in my heart:

You're not a burden. You're a person.

If we can remember that, it changes everything.

People struggling with mental illness are not problems to be passed around.

People battling addiction are not inconveniences.

People experiencing crisis are not liabilities.

They are people.

People worthy of dignity.

People worthy of compassion.

People worthy of hope.

As our community continues these conversations, my prayer is that we move from asking, "Whose responsibility is this?"to asking, "How can we work together?"

Because no one organization can carry the weight alone.

But together, we can carry far more than any of us ever could individually.

The work ahead will not be easy.

It will require collaboration, honesty, patience, and courage.

But I believe our community is beginning to move in the right direction.

And that gives me hope.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." — Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

At Life Line Housing, we believe lives are changed when people are met with both compassion and accountability. We are grateful to Better Together for creating a space where meaningful conversations can happen, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside others who believe every person deserves hope and the opportunity for a new beginning.