At HCN, connection and relationships are central to the many gifts that flow throughout our community. We recognize the many ways of giving within our HCN community, and want to express our gratitude for each and every gift, each one a building block that has helped to grow HCN's community, programming, and advocacy to the 11 programs we have today.
REAL LIFE TESTIMONY
Andrea* has been a member of one of HCN's parenting groups for three years. She entered the group as a step down from inpatient recovery services and had a two-year-old daughter. Andrea struggled with parenting her daughter and would often feel overwhelmed balancing her recovery and parenting responsibilities.
After joining the parenting group, Andrea shared with her HCN clinician and early childhood mental health consultant that she felt safe and supported in the group. She was able to relate to the stressors and triggers that the other mothers in the group experienced. She knew she could talk about the intersectionalities between recovery and parenting, and the shame she would often feel when shamed by other people in her community. What other people don’t know when looking at Andrea is her traumatic past, her struggles with addiction, and the years of homelessness that she experienced.
Throughout her time in the parenting group, Andrea was able to successfully secure a safe housing space and successfully gain employment, while utilizing community resources to continue her recovery services. Andrea maintains a high level of engagement within the parenting group and actively practices the strategies provided by the early childhood mental health consultant in order to help her manage her own responses to her child's behaviors and understand the behaviors as a modality of communication.
Since COVID-19 began, the parenting support by the early childhood consultant has been critical to Andrea as she is parenting at home with her two-year-old child full time. Virtual one-on-one visits with HCN's early childhood mental health consultant are essential in helping Andrea navigate the impact of COVID-19 on her and her daughter. Consistency and safety in relationships are important to continue the parenting support, now more than ever.
This story of relationship building and community support for one of HCN's clients is an example of how the power of connection, consistency, and strengths-based perspective are at the root of HCN's approach to healing.
We are grateful for the gift that is your kindness.
*Names have been changed to protect the family's privacy.