In 2012, a 47 year old divorced female suffering from severe physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her ex-husband, entered HCC’s housing program as a Domestic Violence victim.
Upon entering the program, she suffered from mental health issues and substance abuse issues. Although connected to services from the staff- Counseling, case management and other assistance to keep her stable, due to her years of abuse, she continued to have difficulty applying coping skills and working with staff. At one time, she was asked to participate in a video shoot to tell her story. She began to have emotional flashbacks and was unable to participate in the video.
But, through her persistent efforts in accessing support services offered by HCC- counseling sessions from the therapist, along with the ACE staff’s coaching, the team becoming a support system to her, and through her hard work, she now has a full-time job. Her future plans are to leave the program to independent living.
Because she has maintained her sobriety and mental health, she has gone from homeless, severely addicted to drugs and suffering from mental health breakdowns to having a car, a full time job and soon to be on her own. But her biggest success is reconnecting with her kids and is now able to see her children on visitation days.