Every day by 7:30 a.m., Lazarus Project case managers, a nurse and a psychiatrist ride through the streets of downtown and northwest Miami looking for people like Douglas, who they found hungry, plagued with lice and in need of medication.
“He was very aggressive, very nonverbal,” said program manager Natalie Gild. “We’ve gotten him to a state – 2 or 3 months we’ve been working with him – where he talks, he’s happy, you can see a smile on his face when he sees us.”
The specialized team primarily assists persons who have mental illness and refuse to go to shelters.
“There is not a cure for severe mental illness, but if they take the medication that I provide, you can see how they improve, how they get showers and they eat,” said psychiatrist Luis Gonzalez.
Then there is Connie, who said she’s been living on the streets for the …