Mental Health Awareness Week: Why Casework is a lifeline

Casework can be a lifeline for those struggling with their mental health & homelessness 

It's Mental Health Awareness Week, so we're highlighting how poor mental health can create more barriers for our guests experiencing homelessness, and how our Caseworkers can offer support.

The journey to leave homelessness behind is rarely simple. But when you have poor mental health, every step on that journey is much more difficult.  

Even taking the very first step – asking for help – can be a challenge when you don’t realise that you are experiencing mental health issues. What’s more, is that mental health difficulties can sometimes be the reason why somebody ends up homeless in the first place. 

77% of people experiencing homelessness in England have at least one mental health condition 

This statistic was reported in the Unhealthy State of Homelessness 2025 report by the Homeless Health Needs Audit, and demonstrates just how close the relationship between homelessness and mental health can be.

Battling with mental health can lead to relationship breakdowns, poor financial management, substance abuse, job loss, and more. All of these things can lead to homelessness if someone doesn’t receive the support they need. 

Mental health is currently the biggest and most immediate issue for at least 10 of my guests.

- Isabel, Caseworker 

Then if you become homeless, mental health symptoms worsen and so does the urge to find relief. One study suggests that 49% of people experiencing homelessness self-medicate with drugs or alcohol to help them cope with their mental health. 

Poor mental health can make homelessness feel impossible to solve 

Experiencing poor mental health alongside homelessness can often make processes that are already complex, slow, and arduous feel even harder. 

It’s hard to reply to phone calls and emails. 

It’s hard to attend important meetings and appointments. 

It’s hard to pick up your medications. 

It’s hard to make sure you get three healthy meals a day. 

It’s hard to find somewhere you can call home. 

But having a Glass Door Caseworker advocating for you makes all the difference. 

Our Caseworkers are not necessarily mental health professionals, but they can connect our guests to health services and make sure our guests have access to food, a phone, and a safe place to sleep. They advocate for them with the local council, accommodation providers, and support services.  

The council asked for so much documentation from the landlord. My English at that time wasn't that good, so Haley handled the communication and she took this matter very seriously. I felt like I was the only one she was helping.

- Glass Door guest 

They gather documentation, make phone calls, and attend meetings. And crucially, they can make those all-important referrals to more specialist mental health services. 

We helped Claire link with the homeless mental health team and supported her in making a homeless application.

 - Glass Door Caseworker 

All these actions help someone take critical steps on their journey out of homelessness. 

You can read more about the intersection between mental health and homelessness in our previous blog, which goes into more detail about the barriers we’re facing when trying to support our guests, such as underfunded services and local connection issues.