*All videos are Closed Captioned on Youtube*
Javier* was referred to the Respite, Rehabilitation and Re-Entry center by the Coalition of the Homeless. He had experienced chronic homelessness for over 20 years, and also faced substance abuse challenges and bipolar disorder.
When he came to the center, Javier shared that he was not in touch with family members, but was thankful for the support of a friend. He got a haircut during this time at the Jail Re-Entry Program and told us he "felt he was accomplishing positive milestones for the very first time in his life" thanks to the supports he received here. As part of Jail Re-Entry and the the Hospital to Home program, Javier's care coordinator assisted him securing stable housing, food stamps and Social Security Disability Insurance.
Javier credits his successful experience to the support group classes he participated in, geared towards building coping skills, preventing relapse and mental health and substance abuse education. He shared the topics helped him make better choices for his wellbeing. Javier is now residing in his first apartment in over 20 years.
*The name of the client has been altered to protect the client's privacy.
Jail Re-Entry Program: Mr. Simon* is an Iraq War veteran who was referred to us by Brothers in Arms, a program assisting veterans at the Harris County jail. Shortly before Mr. Simon was released, we offered him a bed at our new Jail Re-Entry program during the time Veterans Affairs coordinated permanent housing for him. Mr. Simon was admitted to our program on Jan. 11 this year.
Janet successfully completed a full protocol of Cognitive Processing Therapy for childhood trauma. She reported feeling uncomfortable with the memories and struggled talking about them.
What does recovery look like? When you fracture a bone, you get a cast to help it heal. Once the cast is off and you are able to return to normal activities, it is assumed that you are recovered from the fracture. For those living with mental illness, though, recovery is not as simple to define because each person’s journey is unique. The children and adolescents who visit our Southwest Family Resource Center are illustrating their individual stories of recovery in a colorful and visible way by creating recovery posters.
The phone rang at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday night at the Crisis Line. Isabella Rowe, a fairly new member of the Crisis Line team, answered the call. The caller shared he was having a really rough time getting through a terrible divorce and was currently homeless. He was feeling desperate and so hopeless that he had thoughts of dying by walking in to traffic earlier that day. Many of these feelings were due to the love he felt for Sanaa, his service dog of 7 years, who helped him due to a seizure disorder. The caller had a really hard time finding a spot in a shelter since most won't take Sanaa. The caller reported feeling increasingly worried about caring for her properly on the street.
The blue skies and shiny green leaves dancing to the rhythm of the friendly summer breeze were the perfect background for the many smiling faces at Bayland Park.
Carla* came to The Harris Center's Peer Re-entry Program in 2019 while she was at the Harris County Jail. She struggled with substance use and felt overwhelmed not knowing how to begin her journey to recovery. She was eager and willing to make the necessary changes, but needed help.
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The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD strives to provide high quality, efficient, and cost effective services so that persons with mental disabilities may live with dignity as fully functioning, participating, and contributing members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay based on a sliding scale rate schedule. Privacy Statement Contact Us