Pictured: (Top) Andy enjoys the view from the back porch of his apartment, which he recently moved into after spending 2 1/2 years at Places for People’s West Pine Group Home. (Bottom) Cloud inspects a tomato plant in the garden that CJ’s Place residents planted and tended.

During his teen and young adulthood years, Andy tried a variety of living arrangements–including living in group homes and living independently–while struggling to understand his mental illness and working to recover from substance addictions.

Frequently, he would wind up losing an apartment because he lacked the confidence to say “no” to people, often drug dealers, wanting to move in with him, which landlords would not tolerate.

Sandra spent most of her adult life depending on others to provide basic services for her, though there was nothing she wanted more than a place of her own.

She knew nothing about how to take care of an apartment, nor how to budget money to cover rent and bills. As far as ever realizing her dream of having her own place, Sandra says, “That was the farthest thing from my mind.”

Four years ago, Cloud arrived in St. Louis at the end of a three-month long methamphetamine binge that began in Utah and that he had hoped would kill him. He lived on the streets for four months after arriving until he began to receive help–initially through Community Alternatives before joining Places for People.

By then, he had been living for over 25 years with the symptoms of an undiagnosed mental illness which first had appeared while he was serving in the U.S. Navy. He was also HIV positive. “I was a mess,” says Cloud.

These days, Andy and Sandra are successfully and independently living in apartments in the community. Cloud remains safely housed at CJ’s Place, Places for People’s facility designed specifically to address the needs of people with dual diagnoses.

What do these clients’ stories illustrate about Places for People’s array of housing choices? The different housing options reflect and address the different choices and needs of our clients.

Consider Andy’s experience, for example. Andy has utilized several of Places for People’s housing options.

Andy joined PfP after deciding he no longer wanted to stay in a group home in Pacific, MO. Initially, he moved into PfP’s emergency housing. Eventually, however, he was evicted when he allowed others to move into his apartment.

After several attempts to live independently, he moved into the West Pine Group Home, where he stayed until last month. Having rebuilt his confidence, worked on assertiveness skills, and celebrated five years of being clean and sober, Andy has recently moved into another apartment on his own.

“That’s the great thing about Places–even though I caused all these problems, they were willing to stick by me,” he says.

Sandra also spent time at West Pine Group Home. She came to Places for People at the advice of her psychiatrist ten years ago. She had a specific goal: to learn the skills she would need to move out of her sister’s place and into a place of her own.

At West Pine and working with Team D, she learned skills like managing her finances, cooking, and cleaning. She also grew in her conviction that living independently was her preference.

“I like my freedom too much,” she says. “That’s why I chose to live in an apartment.”

Sandra has lived in her apartment for five years now. Having adjusted to her new surroundings and challenges, Sandra has recently been discharged from Places for People, with appropriate supports in place.

Cloud has been a resident of CJ’s Place since 2004. While living in Ogden, Utah, he had attended college, married and divorced. Later, he had lived in an AIDS housing project there. But he believes strongly that living at CJ’s Place is where he needs to be now.

“They really practice harm reduction there. . . .” says Cloud. “They realize we’re going to have relapses. And they provide a safe area,” where clients can avoid the dangers of the street and always have a place to call home.

While at CJ’s, he continues to work on his recovery. And in the spring, he will begin taking classes toward a degree in Spanish language. He hopes one day to teach Spanish language classes to inner-city children.

When he set out four years ago from Utah, deeply depressed and having purchased what he thought was enough crystal methamphetamine to kill him on the road somewhere, anywhere, Cloud couldn’t imagine being where he is today.

“It just so happened I ran out here in St. Louis. So it was kind of like divine intervention,” he says.

Labels: Agency Philosophy, Client Stories, Fall - 2008