All bases are covered

Starting in 1982, I have been in and out of hospitals. When I first was diagnosed with mental illness, I was a graduate student at the University of Kansas. During the first phase of my illness, I was teaching at KU and had earned a Fulbright to go to Mexico to collect data for my degree. I had earned two master’s degrees and was working on my dissertation when my illness made it impossible for me to continue in the program. I was lost and went to private practitioners. My illness was overcoming me. I felt so isolated.

At the time, the “medical” model was widely in use. What this means is that I was NOT part of my treatment plan. I took several medications, some to counteract the side effects of other medicines. I was a zombie. The doctors and nurses at the hospitals told me that I would never live on my own. I would live in a nursing home of State Institution. I was going down after having had a successful career.

With much reluctance and warnings of my outside treaters who claimed I would fall between the cracks, I entered the program at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. I continued to see a psychologist and psychiatrist in private practice, but I now had a case manager at Bert Nash. This was the turning point in my life.

My case manager talked to me for a few visits and then asked me to fill out a strengths assessment with her. This was the first time anyone had asked me what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I was cautious and a bit bewildered because I thought the course of my life had already been determined. At first, I said that I wanted to continue living on my own. She wrote that down. She then asked me what else I wanted to do, and I said I would like to do some kind of work. Again, she wrote that down. My case manager referred me to my job support specialist at Bert Nash.

Soon my case manager also became my therapist. I fired my old treaters and received all my service at Bert Nash. The Community Support Services Program gave me an outlet to socialize, and I made friends. My new psychiatrist at Bert Nash took me off the many medications that I had been taking for years. I began to feel alive again. I became a part of my treatment plan. I was told of possible side effects before I decided to take the medication or not. What was important was that the doctor at Bert Nash listened to me and helped me feel better.

Right now, my case manager/therapist is a team leader. She is still my therapist, and I have a new case manager. I like the team approach because other therapists and case managers offer suggestions for my therapist and other patients they serve.

At Bert Nash, all bases are covered. I have a therapist, case manager, and job specialist. Now it is up to me to make a go of this. I work now for the School of Social Welfare at KU as an independent contractor, which means that I am a co-trainer for Evidence based Practices, for example, Supported Employment Specialist and Case Management Training. My goal is to help the participants in these trainings understand their role in the life of a person with mental illness. I am also on the Board of Directors at Bert Nash.

I am enjoying my jobs and no longer meet the requirements for hospitalization. As a matter of fact, I have not been hospitalized for six years due to the help I get at Bert Nash. I feel much better about myself and my involvement in the local community. With hard work and the help of the staff at Bert Nash, I now have a better quality of life. –Elizabeth Sheils