Categories
People

Client Success Story: Tim

We recently had the pleasure of meeting with a client, Tim, who has just settled into his new apartment home through the Healthy Community Collaborative.  We interviewed Tim to learn more about his story.

 

“I used to ride horses full time. In 2003, I was the National Champion in the hunter event. I was number one in the nation in jumping. I was injured – I had a broken bone in my foot, and I was unable to work for four years. I slowly went through every resource. I had to get rid of all of my horses and my car. Not being released to work for four years, I went through all of my money. I never expected to be living under a bridge, ever.

In the daytime, being homeless didn’t seem that bad.  But come 5 or 6 o’clock in the evening, anxiety would set in around the reality of the situation – where are you gonna go, where are you gonna be safe? I did not want to be downtown. Because of the broken bone in my foot, I was taking narcotics and I just didn’t want to go there. I went out on the edge of town and made myself a campsite. Then I found a treehouse and I stayed there. If I hadn’t been so depressed, it would have been a much more spiritual experience! Some of my best friends that I’ve known for 20 years stopped answering my calls. I found more kindness from strangers in Austin than I did from others I thought should have been there for me.

Then I became connected with Integral Care. I can’t even put into words what the housing case managers did for me. They were very professional and gave me really good advice. It was hard giving up control and having to trust a stranger at first. But they seemed like they really cared. They would meet with me at Target or places I had appointments to work with me. I took a coordinated assessment to get into housing. The case managers also helped me get my disability in six weeks. This program has really saved my life. Now it’s up to me to keep things moving forward.

 

Now that I have housing, my toughest decision is which shirt is going to fit me best. It’s a big difference!

I like my new place because it’s mine. Staying with friends or family, even in the best situation, you don’t have your own space. You don’t feel comfortable. It’s really hard. My plan now is to return to work. I think that will help with my depression. I could teach gymnastics, or I could cut hair.

 

I never thought that I would know so many homeless people and have something in common with them, and understand what they’re up against. You can get out of that hole. It’s up to you. The services are there, you just have to take the next step.”

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Meet the Team

Meet the Staff: Helen Eisert

As Integral Care’s Housing Services expands, the Housing team is growing as well. Helen Eisert joined the Supported Housing team as a lead and helps ensure streamlined and efficient access to housing for our clients. Helen evaluates and develops existing and emerging resources for individuals experiencing homelessness or that are at-risk of becoming homeless. Helen has worked with individuals experiencing homelessness for over two decades in multiple capacities. Previously, she led programming at the University of Texas Health Science Center that worked to transition individuals with serious mental illness from institutions into the community. She also directed programs at Saint Louise House. In these two positions, she developed programming guided by the belief in people’s unfailing capacity for change and the basic human right to have safe and decent housing.

 

Helen shared a little about her position, opportunities on the Supported Housing team, and what she enjoys most about working at Integral Care. Welcome to the team, Helen!

 

“Program development is an amazing opportunity to work both ends of the problem of homelessness and still stay hands-on with the day-to-day challenges people face in the transition out of homelessness.  I also have the opportunity to partner with passionate, creative staff at Integral Care and other agencies to work toward the common goal of ending homelessness in Austin.

 

Our local community is at a pivotal time in recognizing safe, decent housing as not only a basic human right, but essential to a healthy community.  We all suffer when one of us experiences homelessness.  Integral Care is on the frontlines with finding creative ways to support people in transitioning from homelessness to housing and prevent homelessness in the first place.  We have an amazing opportunity to leverage the wealth of expertise both staff and clients possess about how to best support people living with serious mental illness find and maintain housing and ultimately prevent and end homelessness.

 

The transition from homelessness to housing stability encompasses every aspect of a person’s life.  A person can move from a place of suffering and fear living on the streets to thriving in ways they never imagined once they have a safe, stable place to call home.   Witnessing that each day and supporting the staff walking with people on that journey is a remarkable experience.”