Success Story – High Level
I have been working with a woman since September 2018. This lady has some cognitive delays and suffers from depression and anxiety. She is a single mother from a Mennonite background. Since I’ve been meeting with her and building a relationship with her, I’ve come to understand that she does not like to make phone calls, or leave messages, and that she would rather meet in person. She has verbally told me that if she can’t talk to a person and it goes to voice message, she will hang up the phone and keep trying until a person answers the phone.
During a meeting with my client I followed up to see if she had made any appointments with the Mental Health and Domestic Violence Response Unit. My client expressed that she had not. She explained to me that she is the type of person that needs to be pushed to do something or else it won’t get done. I asked her if she would like to make a few calls together while I was there to support her, she readily agreed. I coached her before making the call, and let her know that if she needed help, or for me to speak, I would be right there to help. She did make the calls, and with my coaching was able to leave a voice message. I commended her for her effort and she was very pleased with herself. The person called back, she answered and we both spoke to the person and my client led the conversation by herself. Again, I praised her for taking the first-step and executing it. She was very cheerful and pleased with herself and I was happy for her as well.
Given her cognitive delays and trauma she has gone through I am very proud that she took the initiative and owned it. To me that is success! I’m hopeful that through our continued work together she will become comfortable and confident in herself and continue to take the lead in her life.
Submitted by: Maryann Auger; Family Service Specialist – High Level, AB