Ben’s Journey at Lifewell Healthy Transitions
We often receive messages from families who are grateful for the progress and care their loved one experienced at one of our residential campuses. We recently heard from a loved one of Ben,* a former client at our Lifewell Healthy Transitions program, led by program coordinator Teddy McDonald (left).
Ben’s guardian said, “Healthy Transitions made the largest and most profound impact on Ben that we have ever seen.
Before Ben arrived at Healthy Transitions he was unable to cope with personal issues and his emotions, bouncing from group homes to mental facilities and back again due to a constant calling of the crisis hotline and inpatient hospitalizations. With no basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, or good hygiene, it looked like Ben would end up being homeless and another product of a failed system.”
Looking for Help with Coping Habits
All of this back and forth likely led to feelings of exhaustion for both Ben and the people who cared about him. But once his guardian connected him to our Healthy Transitions program, there was an immediate change.
“Within the first 30 days of being accepted into Healthy Transitions, Ben showed immense improvement in all categories. He started to practice healthy coping habits when faced with adversity or internal anxiety. He was able to participate in group discussions and maintain healthy relationships with other clients and the staff.”
The number of calls to the crisis line drastically dropped to just a few instances after previously calling multiple times a day for Ben.
“The changes were extreme in the best way,” Ben’s guardian said. “The transition was so powerful that Ben has begun (and continues) to lead group discussions and other leadership roles within his group home. The staff of Healthy Transitions made one of the biggest differences in the life of someone who had and knew nothing, giving Ben the tools and abilities to succeed in a system that has continued to let him down again and again.
Everyone at Healthy Transitions has my utmost gratitude and should be commended for the remarkable work with people who need it most. A personal thank you to Teddy, Christine, Anna, and Anna for being the rocks in a stormy sea.”
Ben has since moved forward with his recovery and we hope to hear more updates about his life soon.
Our Healthy Transitions program can be a great fit for anyone who currently works with a Lifewell case manager and has a serious mental illness (SMI) designation from the state of Arizona. It’s under our SMI Residential program umbrella and can be especially helpful for those struggling to stay out of the emergency room cycle.
Simply email referrals@lifewell.us or call (602) 808-2800 to find out if you or a loved one are eligible.
*Ben isn’t his real name, but we’ll use it here to protect his privacy.
