[TH Anonymous]

[SIZE="a"]Today marks 3 years since I moved out of a dysfunctional home environment. I was 24 years old at the time and thought it was never going to happen. In December 2017 I went to something called Respite Care for 2 weeks and then stayed with a friend for another week. During that time I was working with social workers and peer specialists to find a place that would be a good fit. Many places were either not a right fit for my needs or had an eligibility criteria that I did not meet. I was told by a staff member who picked up the phone of a well known mental health service agency that has supportive housing programs that I must've done something wrong to have my family treat me so poorly. He accused me of coming home late and other such things that would justify what I was going through. Thankfully, the peer specialist who was sitting next to me and was listening to the conversation on speaker, chimed in and said that I was experiencing a mistreatment as opposed to being given consequences for misbehavior.

At the end of the 2 weeks, the social worker of the respite care program communicated to me and my therapist that there is a transitional shelter that he knows of that collects some monthly rent but it may be worth a try.

Back in summer 2017 I went with my case worker to a public shelter to "check it out" and we learned that there were 7 beds per a room, people can have their belongings stolen, there's 1 cubby to keep your things. It just would not make sense for someone who wanted to and was able to work part time but needed support along the way. Things like showering and brushing your teeth in the morning seemed to be unnecessarily difficult and even to get to the therapy program I was attending, I would have to take 3 trains and a bus.

In February I met the family I wanted to work for and by April I got hired by the agency and began working. By the time I went for the interview for the transitional shelter in February and again in March, I was feeling so scared for the future. In late April I was told I can move in 2 weeks into May. Then different things came up on both of our ends and I did not move till June 10th.

It was one of the scariest things I had done. I still struggle with mental health things but when I think about how I had this opportunity I am filled with gratitude because I truly do not know where I would be had I not been given a chance to get my life back.[/size]