Mental Health

Sasha, a busy mother of four, attended the Community Education and Resiliency Program for the first time. Sasha attended almost every session of group, and as the weeks past, she became more and more comfortable sharing her experiences and opinions in group. She had recently moved to a new apartment, and she was proactive and sharing her case management needs and then following up to access those resources. She updated her SNAP benefits, enrolled her children in a new school, and connected to a community center in her new neighborhood. Sasha shared that the group was beneficial for her each week because it was “the only time I have for myself.” She talked about the stressors of having her children home with her 24/7, and how the group gave her a place to process those emotions and plan for a more positive future.

Mariah, a mother of two, participated in the Community Education and Resiliency Program at her daughter’s school last year. In this series of the group on Zoom, Mariah shared that she was feeling more overwhelmed than ever, and through case management, she found out about resources to help her alleviate the current problems she was facing. Mariah needed new employment opportunities, and she received job listings and virtual job fair postings. She explained to staff that she was a victim of identity theft when she was a child, and that she still had an extremely high utility bill that she was struggling to pay down. Through this program, Mariah was connected to a COVID-19 relief program that assisted her in paying down a sizeable portion of this bill. Mariah shared that felt like she was managing life all on her own, and this program helped her feel supported and encouraged.