Affordable Housing - Catholic Community Services

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A Mother’s Story: ‘Catholic Community Services became my lifeline’ Lisa Jones’ oldest daughter, Megan, suffered brain damage from an accidental drug overdose right after her 13th birthday. Until then, the girl had been highly successful, outgoing, and loving. After the overdose, Lisa noticed strange behavioral problems developing in her daughter that ultimately resulted in a frightening psychotic change. Physicians told her that this was the beginning presentation of a mental illness. “Bipolar,” “schizophrenia,” “borderline personality” – the labels changed with Megan’s presentations. Lisa was also told that this could not have been caused by the overdose, although Megan had seized and had been in a coma. Lisa recalls one physician’s words after Megan’s first discharge from a psychiatric unit: “Your daughter has less than a 50 percent chance of surviving adolescence. You are in for a bumpy ride, and you need to accept it.” How does a parent accept a pending death sentence for a child Lisa refused to accept it, although the doctor was right about the bumpy ride. Megan “melted into a fugue world of multiple psychotropic medications,” Lisa said, and for four years “911 lived at our house or my daughter lived in repeated short-term psychiatric inpatient care. Voices in her head told her to do terrible harm to her body, and medications bloated Lisa Jones and her daughter, Megan Gaines. her small body to 200 pounds. We (her family) lived in daily fear of harm for us or for her. It was a nightmare that we could not wake from.” Two years into this nightmare, the family moved back to Washington state from a neighboring state. A month after the move, Megan’s behavior deteriorated rapidly. She became impulsive and violent, experienced extreme highs and lows, and harmed herself. The hospital put Lisa in touch with the state’s Department of Social and Health Services, and a caseworker there referred her to the Catholic Community Services office in Tacoma. CCS’s Family Preservation System team quickly stepped in. “CCS became my lifeline,” Lisa said. “They held my hand when the strain of living like this – trying to keep my child alive, trying to access help, protect her and her younger sister, and keep our family together and still work to support us all – almost broke me. At one point, when my family begged me to give up and commit my daughter, CCS helped me find the strength to believe in a better tomorrow.” Lisa said the CCS team did not make the family – with its frequent needs for crisis intervention, respite, case aides, and other assistance – feel like a problem. “What was always provided was calm, caring support to get us through those times, an amazing flexibility to meet everchanging needs, and a belief in our family’s strength and love,” Lisa said. With CCS support, Megan’s family convinced her physicians to evaluate her for a potential organic brain injury and indeed, they found that she had suffered significant brain damage. The physicians stopped treating her with medications and turned to neuro-rehabilitation. Megan, now a young adult, works for the Family Preservation System in Tacoma as a Community Support Specialist (CSS) and Youth Partner. In that position, she works closely with the team of professionals supporting the child and family. Community support specialists teach appropriate social skills and those that prepare youth for adulthood; mentor youth; and provide in-home support to the family. Said Cheryl WiIliams, the CCS therapist: “Megan is a wonderful young woman, with a life of potential ahead of her.” ©PHOTO BY MIKE.COM 20 Samaritan Magazine Fall 2005
Home Care Is Our Mission We provide the highest quality of care to aging persons and those with disabilities so they may live with security and dignity in the home they cherish. It’s been our mission for over 25 years We are non-profit: our ‘bottom line’ is care for people, not care for profit We serve all income levels – being vulnerable knows no economic boundaries Care from one hour to 24 hour live in. We offer respite as well as overnight care and bathing services. From housework to personal care - including medication reminders, incontinent care, bathing, dressing, transfers, and supervision. We are licensed by the state, accept insurance, private pay, and DSHS clients Our exclusive use of cutting edge technology and the highest caliber of staff assures you the highest quality in home care Call For A Free In-Home Assessment 1-877-870-1582 w w w.ccsw w.org Catholic Communit y Ser vices of Western Washington 21
Page 1 and 2: Volume 1 Number 1 • Fall 2005 SAM
Page 3 and 4: Trouble on the Home Front By Very R
Page 5 and 6: Hurricane Katrina New Life the Gulf
Page 7 and 8: FACT: In 2004, CCS made it possible
Page 9 and 10: FACT: In 2004, CCS volunteers in Pi
Page 11 and 12: Funds donated through CCS Week will
Page 13 and 14: phone cards, games, socks and stamp
Page 15 and 16: Today, AHA and CCS provide more tha
Page 17 and 18: Where You Will Find Us Bellingham F
Page 19: elationships to serve. The poor and
Page 23 and 24: Benedict House set to open in Febru
Page 25 and 26: Founder (1000-2499) Adobe Systems I
Page 27 and 28: Mr. Leonard J. Kreissl III Mr. and

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