Are all homeless people missing?"

Can I post information on the Outpost for Hope Web site about my missing loved one?

Is Outpost for Hope a crisis hotline?

What if someone does not want to be found?

Why haven’t I heard of this problem?

Don’t all missing persons cases share the goal of finding someone?

Why is education and awareness important?

The problem seems huge. Is there a solution, and what can I do to help?

Are all homeless people missing?

No. Not all homeless people are missing persons. It is not known how many homeless persons are someone’s reported (or un-reported) missing loved one, but many of them are estranged from family members due to severe mental illness and/or co-occuring substance addictions.

Anyone with untreated mental illness is vulnerable to harm and exploitation due to his/her state of mind. Unaccounted for missing persons with untreated mental illness are susceptible to more danger as they are simply not on anyone's radar.

We must take another look at “homelessness” and consider that there are those in that population who may be lost among us.

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Can I post information on the Outpost for Hope Web site about my missing loved one?

No. We do not post cases on our Web site, as there are many issues regarding the privacy of a lost person who may be unreported as missing.

We do invite you to participate in The Missing Link Registry, which is our landmark research project that will help us to document the problem of unreported missing persons and garner public support. The information you send us will be used for research that will help shed light on this problem and offer insight to better solutions. We will not use your story publicly without your permission.

We also provide you with critical information you may need to help you in your search with the Family Resource Guide, which includes a section about what to do when a loved one comes home.

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Are you a crisis hotline? How does someone get help?

We are not a crisis hotline. We provide practical self-help services, 24/7, over the Internet for families, law enforcement, and other agencies.

We provide practical tools such as our Family Resource Guide to empower families of “missing, missing” persons, in crisis to search for a lost loved one, as well as information about what to do when a loved one is located. We also provide educational programs and guides such as our Navigating The Lost Highway Guide for law enforcement and other agencies. We are an information resource that helps all of those involved in searching for an unreported missing person put the pieces together and navigate a complicated and often frustrating system.

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What if someone does not want to be found?

A person over the age of 18 has the right to privacy and confidentiality and can be voluntarily missing or “lost by choice.” A family member may need to provide information that can be validated by a healthcare professional or law enforcement to suggest that the missing person is a danger to him or herself and/or others so that he or she can be properly reported as “endangered missing.”

If an adult is “lost by choice,” the police are not obligated to inform the family of the missing person’s whereabouts. It is critical to raise awareness about the need for the proper procedure as well as treatment options for people who may be mentally ill and who lack discernment about their own well being.

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Why haven’t I heard of this problem before?

Since 1999, Outpost for Hope has been working to raise awareness about “the missing, missing.” Mental illness and addiction in our society carry a negative stigma. It has taken over a decade of grassroots efforts to educate people about this problem and to garner support for it. You haven’t heard about the “missing, missing” persons because no one was talking about them.

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Don’t all missing persons cases share the goal of finding someone?

When dealing with an unreported missing person, each case is different. On the surface, the goal would appear to be reuniting the missing person with his or her family, but sometimes that is not possible. The missing person may be deceased when found, or the family may not have the ability or the desire to care for the person based on his or her needs. Finally, it may not be realistic for the lost person to simply come home. We encourage every family in crisis to review our Family Resource Guide , which includes a section about what to do prior to a loved one being located.

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Why is education and awareness important?

The need for education about “Missing, Missing” person exists because most people are unaware that the problem exists and that the consequences are as dire as they are.

Families in crisis who have never had to navigate a complex “system” before do not know how to proceed; law enforcement officials often are not aware of available resources or simply the value of taking a missing persons report, even if the case doesn't seem to require one on the surface.

Without education, lives will be lost and billions of dollars will be misused. All lives have value, and we protect our most vulnerable citizens – those who are compromised and lost as a result of having an untreated mental illness and/or addiction.

We may be tempted to say that these people are “lost by choice,” but we ask you to consider that there is a distinct difference between a person of sound mind who is “lost by choice” and those who have no discernment about their own safety. We want to avoid exploitation and or harm of innocent and vulnerable people who are on the streets and want to help reunite children that no one knows exist with loving family members.

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The problem seems huge. Is there a solution, and what can I do to help?

At Outpost for Hope, we believe that being lost is preventable and resolvable. We can prevent people from becoming lost, and we can help families find their lost loved ones. But this problem can only begin to be solved when society acknowledges that the problem actually exists. We invite you to continue to review our Web site for more information about what families in crisis can do and what agencies can do, and to read more information about missing persons and mental health.

Click here to find out more about how to get involved with Outpost for Hope or to make a donation.

If you have or are looking for a lost loved one, you can participate in our Landmark Research Project, the Missing Link Registry.