Jane’s Story

Jane has been a participant with Impact for over 10 years. She came to Impact to get support with being more independent in her living environment and daily activities. Prior to living at Impact, Jane was residing with her family and wanted to learn how to live on her own. After moving in to one of Impact’s permanent supportive housing units, Jane was able to make significant progress towards her goal of becoming more independent. She was able to engage in services with her clinician, the nurse, the psychiatrist, along with taking advantage of the Supported Employment Program.

Jane was able to obtain part-time employment, enroll in college classes, maintain and improve her family relationships, get connected with medical providers, and learn how to cook, clean and shop for herself. Jane was also able to learn how to utilize public transport to increase her independence.

Like many individuals with a chronic mental illness, Jane recently struggled with coping with a number of stressors and life events that occurred at once. Jane’s mental health symptoms increased, which led her to be confused and disorganized and resulted in her not going to work or school. She also stopped taking her medications due to disorganized thoughts.

Through an integrated team approach, the Impact’s staff were able to provide the necessary supports to assist Jane with getting the appropriate treatment to bring her back to her baseline or her functioning level prior to her decline. While a brief hospitalization was required, the clinician, nurse, psychiatrist and employment specialist were all able to work together in order to help Jane return back to her apartment following the hospitalization, rather than being transferred to an institution or nursing home. Jane was able to receive therapy and support services, such as medication training and case management to get back on track with medications, benefits, and even employment. Jane has been able to return to her previous employer and is enjoying her job and spending time on her hobbies and out in the community with family and friends.