Success Stories
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Mental Health HEROES has already touched the lives of many people experiencing mental illness. Below are just a few success stories we would like to share with you.
(Please note: names have been changed and very few details are given in order to protect the confidentiality of our patients.)
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Keeping the Water On
Jane had been a patient of Charleston Dorchester Mental Health for the treatment of major depression and post traumatic stress disorder. She made considerable improvements since she began receiving treatment and was able to hold down a job and care for her two children. Unfortunately, her world turned upside down when she was involved in a traumatic car accident that required months of rehabilitation. Not surprisingly, the incident made it impossible for her to work for a period of time, and the bills began to pile up quickly. Her water bill had become a significant concern as it had reached upwards of $500 and she was at risk of having it turned off altogether. Jane’s case manager found out about the situation and contacted Mental Health HEROES looking for help as fast as possible. Mental Health HEROES stepped in quickly and paid a substantial amount of the bill to ensure her family would not go without water.Getting Her Smile Back
Mary has been a patient of the mental health center since 1988. She has struggled for years with Bipolar Disorder and is receiving psychiatric treatment, case management, and therapy from Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center. The services provided by the center play a vital role in Mary’s life. The comprehensive and aggressive nature of the treatment services provided have helped to effectively treat an incredibly volatile mental illness. Treatment has helped bring some stability back into her life. On one particularly difficult evening, however, Mary’s behavior became erratic and disorganized. She was exhibiting signs of an extreme manic episode and was brought to the Medical University of South Carolina for treatment. During her stay she managed to lose her dentures among all the chaos. She returned home once she stabilized but went without her dentures for eight months. Her case manager at the mental health center brought the situation to the attention of Mental Health HEROES, which contributed $150 towards a new set of dentures.Clean Clothing for Her Children
Beth is a mother of five who has worked hard during her time at the mental health center. She has a long history of depression that would often leave her unable to get her children to school or to get out and find a job. Beth has accomplished a lot since she began receiving treatment. Her accomplishments are many to include taking steps as a parent to get DSS out of her life and she has found herself a stable job she enjoys that allows her to support her family. Beth spends a significant amount of her time making sure her children receive the love and care they need. It’s not easy being a single mother of five, and many household chores would present a challenge for her as she balanced work and family. Washing clothes was just one example. She did not have a washing machine and with five children, dirty clothes piled up quickly. She would use the family bathtub to make sure her children went to school each and every day with clean clothes. The mental health center took note of all her hard work and current challenges and approached Mental Health HEROES to see if they might help. Mental Health HEROES discussed the matter and was able to purchase a washing machine, which has made an incredible difference in the overall quality of life for her family.Car Trouble
Karen found herself caught in a vicious circle, and it was the kind that could have easily sent her into a depression. At times, her history of depression left her feeling utterly hopeless and out of control, and on this occasion she discovered that her car needed some costly repairs. Karen, a substitute teacher, took what money she had to pay for the repairs, however, this left her with very little money to pay her other bills, including her monthly car insurance payments. And that is where the vicious circle began. She spent the money to fix her car so she could get to and from work, but she quickly lost her car insurance which meant she could no longer drive to get to work. She found herself stuck and at a loss as how to solve the problem. She began spiraling into a depression until she reached out to the mental health center for help. Mental Health HEROES was contacted to see if we could help Karen with her problem and we stepped in to pay for several months worth of car insurance payments.Missing Her Meds
In the Fall of 2011, the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center learned that a female client, Nicole, was at risk of no longer being able to afford her psychiatric medications. She was working very hard in treatment and in the community, holding down two part time jobs to help pay the bills. Unfortunately, expenses were catching up to her and she found herself unable to afford the medications that had become a critical piece of her recent success. Mental Health HEROES acted quickly to ensure she would not miss a day of treatment by agreeing to pay for one month of medications. 
