According to the FBI there are approximately 110,000 persons reported as missing in the National Crime Information Center database today. This means that law enforcement has taken a report from a family member who has a lost loved one and has entered the information into the national database so it can be cross referenced by other law enforcement agencies.

The "missing, missing" is the undefined, silent population of lost people who are unaccounted for in any database. It is estimated that 1.6 million are not listed in the database and are among the "Missing, Missing."

What does it cost us financially to have "missing, missing" people in the United States?

These may be unreported missing adults with mental illness and/or co-occurring addiction problems who may be lost among the homeless population. Many have left behind family members who have not been successful in attempts to list them with law enforcement as missing.

There can be a number of reasons that a person goes undocumented. Among these reasons:

• The person is an adult with mental health issues and/or addictions, who, as an adult, can "drop off the radar" at will.

• The person is a child born to a "missing, missing" person, so no one even knows the child exists, and other "kids off the grid". Many of these children may have safe, loving family members that would take care of them, if they knew they existed. Finding "missing, missing" people, literally could save thousands of children from lives lost to the streets.

• The person is estranged from family and friends, so no one knows he/she is missing.

• A person is chronically homeless.

• A person is in the country without the proper documentation.

• Remains turn up, but no records pinpoint who the person is.

The challenge arises when people with a mental health issue legally goes missing because they are adults, but they do not have the ability to recognize that they are putting themselves in harm's way. When this happens, families are desperate to find their vulnerable loved one and get them the help they need in order to save their lives, but there are often no resources available to help them.

Read articles about "missing, missing" persons.