Samantha Sullivan struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son.
Her life started to spiral after that.
"It exacerbated a lot of my own untreated mental health problems," she said.
Sullivan lost her job and her apartment and was even separated from her two kids.
"I had no job, nowhere to go," she said. "Not having my kids was just like, 'What do I do to fix this?'"
Stories like hers are all too common. A new report reveals that of all the people experiencing homelessness, 67% have a mental health disorder.
That’s two out of every three.
"These folks will have trouble finding employment, staying employed," Maggie Baldwin said. "They have isolation from family and friends. They're disconnected — and also vulnerable."
Baldwin is with David Lawrence Centers in Naples, which provides behavioral health treatment.
She said mental health disorders are not only linked to homelessness but also to substance abuse, and that all three can fuel a vicious cycle.
That’s why ending homelessness is about more than just more affordable housing.
"If we help someone recover, whether it's from a substance use disorder, a mental health disorder, or a combination — we’re helping that person become stable," Baldwin said.
A common challenge is getting people access to the help that's available, but there is work being done to change that.
"We have been able to come together after Hurricane Ian, so we can come together for this solution," Vanessa Ruiz told NBC2.
Ruiz manages the Mental Health Navigator program, which operates through Kids Minds Matter at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Her team gets referrals from schools to help kids in crisis but ends up helping the child’s entire family. They work to connect families to mental health services, food and housing assistance and other needs.
"All we're doing is showing people the way and guidance," Ruiz said. "These are the things that are available to you. This is how you reach for them."
Sullivan is among those who received help from the Mental Health Navigator program. They connected with her after her daughter was Baker Acted.
"It's changed our lives, truly," she said. "It really changed our lives."
The program has not only helped improve her daughter’s mental health but her own as well.
Sullivan is now back with her kids. She has her own apartment, a full-time job and something she had lost for so long: hope.
"There are so many amazing programs in our community. And you have to accept the help when it's offered, even if it means putting your pride aside a little bit," Sullivan said. "Because the help that's out there is amazing, and there is hope that it can get better."