‘Ken’ was admitted to the Legacy Treatment Services Enhanced Supportive Housing program in 2017 after having been discharged from Ancora Psychiatric Hospital. With help from Legacy, he received a Division of Mental Health and Addictions Services’ rental voucher and moved into his own apartment after years of homelessness, hospitalizations and incarcerations. Ken was extremely excited about his new sense of independence, with his very own apartment and returning to the community. As one can imagine, returning to the ‘typical’ community after so many years of hospitalization brings a new set of challenges, so it is not a surprise that Ken had difficulty adapting. His Legacy case managers saw him struggling to acknowledge his mental health needs as all he wanted was to be ‘better’ and ‘to fit in’. Unfortunately, he relapsed twice in his first year and ended up hospitalized on both occasions with a host of serious mental health and medical issues. Legacy remained by his side.
So many issues plague those with severe mental illness. When Ken moved into his apartment, he had poor credit and hefty fines related to criminal charges in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and his driver’s license was suspended. This is a typical pattern that our team sees. The Legacy case managers worked diligently to contact the townships and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to set up payment plans on Ken’s behalf and, in time, he was able to repair his credit to the point of obtaining a credit card! In December 2021, he successfully paid off his DMV sanctions and retook the written and driving tests, receiving his driver’s license in January 2022. While these accomplishments may seem normal to some, they were tremendous for Ken and such a source of pride for his case managers.
Ken was limited to his choice of apartments due to his past credit and rental history as well as the limitations of his state housing voucher. In the beginning, he rented from a private landlord in a very old house and made the best of the limitations. However, in 2021, Ken was able to apply for new affordable housing complexes that Legacy was spearheading. He was hesitant at first, as he was used to the housing that he had lived in for so long, but through the encouragement of Legacy staff he submitted applications. In June 2022, Ken moved into a brand-new apartment complex!
One of the areas that the team realized throughout Ken’s treatment was that for years, Ken did not have consistent contact with his adult children and that these tensions were a source of great sadness and anxiety for him. Through the 5-year process with Legacy, it is a joy to share that he was encouraged to re-establish relationships with his children and now he enjoys regular contact with them! He was even able to attend his daughter’s recent college graduation with smiles and pride in his heart! Ken is also now saving to purchase a car. And, he continues to actively work with our Legacy Enhanced Supportive Housing Program and treatment providers in the community to maintain his independence.
Over the years, Ken has grown far more willing to accept support and he enjoys working in tandem with his devoted team! Legacy is so proud of Ken and sees a beautiful horizon in his future!
Click here to learn more about Legacy’s Enhanced Supportive Housing Program