From Surviving to Thriving: Empower Resilience through Your Support

Wendy and her partner, Mark, first came to Breakthrough in search of housing. They were living in their car and desperately wanted a home. They had been homeless for some time, neither could find or hold a job, and they were both dealing with past substance abuse. Wendy is an educated woman who was struggling with untreated mental health issues. As their working relationship grew with Breakthrough, untreated mental health surfaced as a major barrier to being housed and becoming employed. Feeling unsafe every day and coping with the daily stresses of homelessness tended to ruin any progress she had made each day. They had secured a housing voucher but were unable to navigate finding a home in time, and the voucher expired. Both had a spotty history of substance abuse and were working hard to maintain sobriety, but this, on top of their other challenges in life, seemed insurmountable.

When Breakthrough began to offer quick access to mental health assessments, Wendy was eager for an appointment. Even so, during the appointment, she expressed so much agitation and anxiety that, without staff support, she likely would not have been able to stay for her wait time in the lobby. “I just didn’t know what I was getting myself into, and it helped to have someone with me to get me through the door,” Wendy said. What followed was a meaningful mental health diagnosis and a medication plan with her first appointment. All of this was necessary to approach the work of finding a home. Wendy was able to show some stability by addressing her mental health needs so that their new landlord had more confidence in their sobriety and ability to maintain their housing unit.

With the diagnosis, medication, and now a home, Wendy was able to settle in and feel safe enough that she was now willing to go through a program we referred her to for job placement. She is now employed, housed, and working with professionals to help her manage her mental health. “I am so thankful to Turning Point’s team for their patience in helping me get back on track. I feel like myself again, but it’s a new way of taking care of me” said Wendy. Wendy checks in with Breakthrough staff several times a week and expresses confidence and hope for the future.

Alex was introduced to Breakthrough because of a referral from a local shelter case manager. He was searching for housing options. But as Alex became more comfortable with the Breakthrough team, it became clear that mental health services would help him tremendously. He disclosed a recent traumatic experience and that he had been trafficked as a child and young adult, brought into the country as a child. Alex was very timid and fearful and it was clear that he was a vulnerable young adult. “I just didn’t know who I could turn to,” he said.

Breakthrough collaborated with the shelter to ensure proper support, including transportation, to ensure his safety from predators. He started therapy on a weekly basis with Breakthrough’s counselors. Breakthrough also connected Alex to Hunter Health for psychiatric care and ensured his access to prescribed medication. His diagnoses were severe anxiety, suicidal ideations/attempts, and depression. Within the first two months of service, Alex began coming out of his shell. He has new pride in his physical appearance. The shelter reported that he had increased participation in group activities, and he had changed from timid to joking. His stature exudes a new confidence. Alex is excitedly looking forward to independent living with the help of Housing 1st after encountering the hurdles of his immigration status. Staff helped him explore solutions to citizenship and found a landlord who put in extra effort to find him eligible for one of his apartment complexes. He’s building up his resilience and working toward establishing a work history as a citizen. Alex wants to work in carpentry and finishing.

“One of the brightest moments for me was a Welcome Home basket given to me by Breakthrough” said Alex. “I couldn’t have come this far without these people. They saw something in me I didn’t see before.”

Kelly came to the Turning Point housing program by spontaneously stepping through our doors. He was agitated and impatient, and unsure of what he needed to do next. The Turning Point team took a non-confrontational approach, engaging him in some volunteer work. As they worked, they talked. Kelly disclosed multiple barriers, such as a poor employment history and no identification. It became evident that Kelly was suffering from untreated mental health issues that deeply impacted his ability to follow through on securing housing and employment. Kelly clearly wanted to find work to support himself but was frustrated in his inability to keep a job, and therefore, a home. “I just couldn’t get it together,” he said. As he connected with the program staff, he started opening up more and processing his options in overcoming his financial barriers.

While waiting for a housing unit to open up, Kelly began working with the housing team at Turning Point with volunteer tasks. He became accustomed to working with others and communicating better about the work to be done. He continues to practice the skills needed when he finds a job. Through a daily dose of working and talking with the team about his interactions with others, it has led him to share more about his mental health and substance abuse history that would have become barriers to him maintaining housing. This was important information to share and was the result of the trust that was built along the way with staff. It was the key to turning his experiences into hope. A mental health assessment has given Kelly a new view of his path to independence. “I’ve got a plan, “ said Kelly. “It’s real simple – get help. And keep asking questions.”

Simply finding an apartment is not enough to end the cycle of chronic homelessness; our program builds bonds that break through multiple barriers and leads to long-term housing success.