From CNN this morning:

"An out-of-work money manager in California loses a fortune and wipes out his family in a murder-suicide.

"A 90-year-old Ohio widow shoots herself in the chest as authorities arrive to evict her from the modest house she called home for 38 years.

"In Massachusetts, a housewife who had hidden her family's mounting financial crisis from her husband sends a note to the mortgage company warning: "By the time you foreclose on my house, I'll be dead." Then Carlene Balderrama shot herself to death, leaving an insurance policy and a suicide note on a table.

"Across the country, authorities are becoming concerned that the nation's financial woes could turn increasingly violent, and they are urging people to get help. In some places, mental-health hot lines are jammed, counseling services are in high demand and domestic-violence shelters are full."

First of all, why are people evicting a 90-year-old woman from her home? Is there no one around who can be notified to find ways to help her pay for a while, or to find a better solution than her losing her home completely? What about the guy who dropped off seven kids at a hospital because he just couldn't take care of them?

This shows not just that the economy is in crisis, but that there aren't enough social workers or mental health workers to help out. Police and other authorities should be able to work with and call upon social workers. Not enough people are pitching in to help those who need the help, but maybe they just don't know where people are who are in crisis.

I don't think churches alone (as some would suggest) can be counted on to provide adequate mental health support or navigation of the social service system, although they sure help. There have to be crisis workers and social workers in a community, too (and they should be better paid and less overworked so more people will go into the profession). And just people paying attention to what their neighbors are doing, and trying to help when they can.