Staff at Nova Safe Haven in Phoenix, Arizona. Included here was my former case manager.
Being diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) almost a year and a half ago was a bitter pill for me to swallow. It was also very frightening for me personally as you can imagine. Being told your sick and need to take medication was also a serious challenge, because it left me in a vulnerable state.
Luckily for me, l had people to help monitor my medication, make sure l was taking it correctly and who gave me both professional case management services and a “safe place” to be during the day when l was on those medications.
As l look back now on my long road to recovery, l can see and appreciate the role my case manager had in helping me on my journey.
The place where l was at was called: “Nova Safe Haven” located at 12th avenue and Madison in Phoenix, Arizona. I remember my case manager very fondly as a man who really cared about me and his other clients and went above and beyond the call of duty to help us.
See website: http://nova-safehaven.org/
I remember one of my early encounters with him once when he came up to me and said:
“You know we have been watching you on the security tape isolate yourself in the corner of the day room all day. Why don’t you join us in a group discussion or participate in an art therapy project. Ya, that would be a good idea. Why don’t you collect your things and go do that right now. Do as l say now ya hear.”
Another time he approached me and said:
“You know we got a call on you from your case manager over at CASS (Central Arizona Shelter Services). It seems during a routine bed check they found you curled up in a fetal position underneath your bunk instead of sleeping on top of your bunk like a normal person – are you afraid that the ceiling tiles are going to fall on your head again?”
On another occasion l walked past my case manager and he said:
“Hold on now, what is that that I see – is that duck tape l see holding your shoe together. That isn’t going to work! You know you make us look bad when you walk around here looking like that! We have state inspectors running around here looking precisely for this kind of stuff. You come down to my office right now and let me write you out a referral to the clothing closet at C.A.S.S. and see once if we can get you a pair of decent shoes to wear.”
Yet another time l walked passed him and he said:
“Robert, hold on now, let me talk at ya for a minute. Come over here! Oh my your ‘ripe’ man (meaning I smelled bad) let go to my office… Let me give you this bar of soap and l want you to march your butt into that bathroom and scrub up in that shower. You know your supposed to be showing every day, not only once or twice every couple of weeks, especially in summer time here in Arizona. This ain’t C.A.S.S., we won’t allow you to get away with that around here. While your doing that l’m going to get you some new cloths. What you got on now are practically falling off you, not to mention they are dirty as hell. What you been doing sleeping in the dirt or something.? Here you put those cloths in this red bio hazard bag so we can dispose of it like a bio-hazard. After you finish you come see me so l can check you out! I also want to send you to LDRC to get a referral for a free haircut at the barber college on Van Buren. I’ll give you a one day bus pass, which l want you to bring back to me see, so l know you didn’t lose it, sell it to somebody or trade it for cigarettes is that understood. Good man!”
One of the more touching moments we had was when he called me over to the side and said :
“Now this is my private phone number. I’m not supposed to give it to you, but I’m concerned about you. I want you to put it in your wallet someplace where you won’t lose it and if you ever wander away from here, get lost or confused, l want you to give the people this number so they can call me, day or night and I’ll come get you you and bring you back here. Again this is my private number – so don’t you be calling me for no foolishness understand. I get enough of that from my ex- wife and kids, and l don’t need you doing the same thing to me. Look were on your side man. And l got your back. Its my job to help you. You need anything you let me know. Now go get some grub to eat.”
One of the last conversations we had together was when l was to be transported to an administrative hearing with a judge to determine if l was to receive SMI benefits or not under Magellan.
He said: ” Now look here – l’m getting ready to transport you to your administration hearing with the judge today. Everything is going to be OK. I’m going to be with you the whole way. You don’t have to be scared or afraid! But don’t you freak out on me, or act out in the van. I swear to God if l have to stop this vehicle in the middle of traffic and run after you down the street, its not going to be a good day for either of us. I’m not going to have any trouble out of you today am l ? (No sir) Good man.”
Needless to say everything was OK. My case manager made sure of that! I’m not sure I could have gotten through all this without his help during these critical times.
I never really got a chance to thank him or the staff for that matter at Nova Safe Haven for all their help. One day I have to stop by and let them know I’m OK.
Since l don’t have his permission from my former case manager to use his name in this report – I didn’t use it.
But he knows who he is. Thank you sir for all your help!