I’ve worked with Susan for a couple of years now on and off. Her first couple of stays with us were brief and looked very similar. We focused on her immediate needs and welcomed her into a safe and non-judgmental space. This is something she mentioned a couple of years later as being the reason she continued to return to Covenant House Vancouver when in need of support.
Susan had a long history of trauma and as a result of this had developed a consuming addiction that we watched her struggle with for years. Susan would come into the Crisis Program for a couple of nights and then relapse and not return. We would then often not see her for months. Over a couple of stays at our Crisis Program we were able to build a connection and relationship with her. Over time Susan’s stays started to get longer and she slowly opened up to us.
Rather than leaving our program without saying a word, Susan began coming to us when she was struggling and reached out to her community supports as well. We watched Susan work hard over her last stay to focus on sobriety, to work on her mental health and to get into a treatment centre for addiction. She also reconnected to family and rediscovered old hobbies that she really enjoyed such as hiking, reading and attending Art Group.
Susan was successful in getting into a treatment centre and she completed her program there. Susan stops in from time to time and now has her first job and you could see the pride on her face when she told us this. Although this may not be the end of the road for her addiction it was a huge step that a couple of months ago, she thought she would never make it to. Recovery and positive change are not a linear path and I am glad we could support Susan on her on going journey.
Shared by Krista, Youth Worker at our Crisis Program