A year ago, when John first requested services at Catholic Charities AIDS Services he was depressed and unable to leave his home due to a high level of social anxiety. He was not attending medical appointments and his health was suffering as a result.

This decline occurred after he had been in his own apartment, but it flooded after a storm and became uninhabitable. He had numerous struggles with his benefits and reestablishing himself in a new apartment. He moved in with a friend and hit a very low point in his life.

When he first met his case management team he was non-communicative and hesitant to share any information. Maintaining communication and working on his goals was challenging for the team. They helped him to focus on several issues – obtaining a regular income to support his expenses, getting his own apartment and working on an appeal for social security benefits that had been denied in addition to regularly attending his medical appointments.

He worked with his team to get prepared to work with the law clinic to appeal the denial of social security benefits. He went to all his appointments alone and worked with the clinic staff. He recently won his appeal and will now be in a better financial situation as a result.

He moved into a small apartment and is proud of that accomplishment. The case management team accompanied him to appointments to help him ask questions and stay focused on the content of information being given him. He is now consistently attending his medical appointments and following physicians’ instructions.

He eventually enrolled in mental health counseling and it’s been helping to lessen his anxiety. He attends meals at the Damien Center and has taken advantage of the nutrition program there. He has made some friends that he sees regularly at the Center.

John feels very comfortable with his team and has established a strong connection. He is just as likely to initiate a call to his team, than staff will be to call him. He is following through with tasks that ensure he gets out of his apartment, lessening his social anxiety. John has achieved a great deal in a short period of time, which improves his health and functioning in the community.