In this episode, Scott reflects on the unexpected connection between special education and homelessness.

Drawing from his experience as an elementary special education teacher and his work alongside people experiencing homelessness, he explores shared themes of vulnerability, unmet needs, and systems that weren’t built for everyone.

This isn’t a comparison — it’s a realization. One that challenges how we judge behavior, define accountability, and offer support.

Episode 20 asks an important question:

What if the problem isn’t the people… but the systems around them?

• (00:00:24) - Unhoused and Unheard Of: IEPs
• (00:10:50) - Language matters in special education
• (00:12:47) - In the Fight for Homeless People
• (00:15:29) - How to Adapt the Homeless to Our System
• (00:16:48) - Pay it Forward: Ending
• (00:23:49) - The homeless in the library
• (00:27:21) - The challenges of treating people with disabilities
• (00:28:27) - Paying it Forward: This Episode

Homelessness is often judged by what we can see — but most of the struggle happens in the moments no one notices. In this episode, Scott and Kathleen pull back the curtain on the daily realities of life without stability and explore why real change can feel so slow and invisible.

From constant exhaustion and survival mode to system barriers and quiet wins that rarely get recognized, this conversation offers an honest look at what progress really looks like when you’re unhoused — and why compassion and consistency still matter, even when outcomes aren’t immediate.

This is a reflective, real-time conversation about perspective, patience, and seeing people beyond the surface.

• (00:00:22) - Unhoused and Unheard: Homelessness in Sheboygan
• (00:01:00) - Confessions of a Combat Veteran
• (00:01:57) - What People Don't See About Homelessness
• (00:03:59) - Tom Clancy on Homeless People and Their Consequences
• (00:06:14) - On the Nextdoor App
• (00:07:18) - "How Do You Know They're Homeless?"
• (00:12:00) - Homeless People's Day-to-Day Life
• (00:14:30) - What Do Special Ed Students Need to Do to Survive?
• (00:17:04) - How to Get Out of Survival Mode
• (00:21:26) - The dignity of the addicted person
• (00:25:02) - Why Does It Seems Like Nothing Ever Changes?
• (00:29:30) - Why Progress Takes So Long
• (00:33:59) - Jimmy Gets His Keys Back
• (00:38:08) - Volunteer Burnout, turnover
• (00:40:40) - Wonders on the Streets: Progress
• (00:46:52) - Clear Boundaries and Consequences
• (00:51:09) - What Kind of Compassion Is That?
• (00:51:33) - No Home For Homeless People?

In this episode, Scott sits down with Morgan, a Drug Court Coordinator, and Sam, a therapist with the Department of Health and Human Services, for an honest look at how recovery, mental health, and accountability intersect.

They talk about what drug court really looks like, the challenges people face while navigating substance use and trauma, and why support systems matter just as much as structure. This conversation offers insight into the work happening behind the scenes — where compassion meets responsibility and real change begins.

• (00:00:00) - Unhoused and Unaccounted in Sheboygan
• (00:01:03) - What led you into this line of work?
• (00:02:24) - Getting it together in the court system
• (00:03:13) - What Led You Into Work at Health and Human Services?
• (00:04:43) - In Treatment Court, Sam and Andrea
• (00:07:03) - How Often Are You Two Working Together in the Treatment Court?
• (00:08:13) - Mental health and addiction
• (00:09:43) - How early do you often see the struggles in people's lives with
• (00:11:01) - What is Treatment Court in Sheboygan?
• (00:15:40) - What Does the Drug Court Team Look Like?
• (00:19:23) - How Homelessness Impacts Recovery or Treatment Court
• (00:23:22) - "They Didn't Choose This Life"
• (00:29:27) - How to Protect Your Mental Health While Working
• (00:34:30) - What Keeps You From Getting Burned Out?
• (00:36:47) - What Does Success Look Like For Someone Who Graduates Drug Court?
• (00:40:37) - What would you both want to see happen for substance abuse and mental