Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64what missions would need to do if minimum wage was significantly increased: “Do we shut down? Do we lay off employees? Reduce hours?” HOUSING/MEDICAL CARE S OGI issues also come into play with regard to housing. Will missions have to follow different guidelines about who stays where? Will they have to provide housing for anyone who asks, regardless of lifestyle? Even the definition of what makes a family comes into play where housing is involved. Myra Garlit, executive director of Crossroads Mission in Yuma, Arizona, is concerned about potential changes to the law when it comes to housing, as far as the “federal government being very negative toward homeless shelters and push- ing Rapid Housing and Housing First, and saying that shelters are only enabling homelessness. Yet they offer very little in case management services in the programs that they offer.” She continues, “There is also a term ‘shelter diversion,’ which is a becoming a national phrase; we don’t know about legal issues with this topic, but if it’s coming from the federal government, it most certainly could be an issue. Another term is ‘assertive engagement,’ which is the opposite of ‘motivational interviewing’ about change. We still don’t know how this might be a legal issue, but it is on the horizon. There’s not a lot of grace to be found in assertive engagement.” Myra also expresses concern regarding integrated medical care for homeless people, especially shelters that offer behavioral health services. “It is already a legal issue because providers who contract with behavioral health agencies must use this practice,” she says. The coming years could see multiple large shifts in laws and regulations that affect how our missions are run and how our homeless friends are cared for. “I think a lot will depend on the presidential election and subsequent Supreme Court appointments,” says Eric Bauer, executive director of Portland Rescue Mission. One thing we do know is that prayer and seeking God’s guidance through these issues is imperative. Ĩ Kristi, Rescue’s managing editor, has been a maga- zine writer and editor for 20 years, as well as a contributing author for devotionals and curricu- lum. She and her husband, Jess, are the parents of three children. Email her at krector@agrm.org. HR AND HIRING PRACTICES 32% GOVERNMENT HOUSING 12% SERVICE ANIMALS 12% LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS 10% Other issues of concern mentioned included: immigration, safety/security, Americans with Disabilities Act/accessibility, criminalizing homelessness, health care/mental health, and vulnerability to lawsuits. WWW.AGRM.ORG JULY/AUGUST 2016 23