Q & A with Consumer Activist Julia Tripp

“My voice is there to demonstrate that “down and out” is not “over and forgotten.” Check out what consumer activist Julia Tripp has to say about recovery and consumer involvement.

Q: What has brought you to where you are now, as an advocate, activist, and agent of change?

A: Several years ago I had an epiphany about who I am, and also about how homeless services are delivered. I found myself at the table instead of under it. I saw that there were people genuinely interested in helping, but they had a limited experience of what it was like to be outside the system. I feel like my voice brings possibility. My voice is there to demonstrate that “down and out” is not “over and forgotten.”

Q: How do you think about recovery?

A: Recovery has multiple dimensions. Each person’s recovery is their own journey, not to be mistaken as someone else’s notion of “my way,” “in my time,” or where they “should be.” It’s a hard walk, but a beautiful one. I could not have guessed that it would feel this good.

Q: What is the role of Certified Peer Specialists or other consumer providers in homeless services?

A: When I look at the conversion of the shelter system from managing homelessness to ending it, people are going to need some real peer support around how to stay housed and live in the community. There is enormous possibility for support from peer case managers, outreach workers, buddies, and other support people. The Certified Peer Specialist role is defined in such a way that the person is safe.

Q: What are some of the gaps in services for people who are homeless?

A: Peer support is a huge gap. Consumer leadership and development is a missing piece. Support as people move into jobs and housing. Adequate drug treatment on demand—the day you decide to come in has to be the day you get services. Emergency shelter services for chronically terminally ill people. Long term strategies for supporting people’s economic stability and mobility. Child care for homeless families. Eligibility limits that won’t work against people’s ability to exit homelessness. People should have more control over their own destiny. The missing voice of people who have been there accounts for many of the gaps. The possibilities are enormous if we speak from the lived experience of homelessness.

Publication Date: 
2008