How many people can say they work in the place that saved their lives?
Haven for Hope, San Antonio’s largest homeless shelter and outreach center, saved my life nearly 14 years ago. Now I work as a peer mental health supervisor with people going through the same issues I once did.
When I was battling addiction, I moved from Savannah, Georgia to Texas, thinking the move would help me. And for a while, I was fine. But after losing my job and my apartment and a relationship falling apart, I fell back into my addiction. Things spiraled out of control, and I was sleeping on couches and working temp jobs, feeling hopeless.
One day I told myself that life had to get better. I started looking for a place to live so I could work on getting clean and getting back on my feet. I ended up at a church and was getting some food and a shower when I heard about Haven for Hope.
I had the route described to me and headed straight there. Of course I was scared, but I knew it had to be better there than on the street. I was a patient in the low-barrier accommodation known as the Courtyard for a few months before moving to the transformation area of the accommodation.
It felt like being on a college campus. I was able to access services at Haven that helped me with my addiction and mental health, and I didn’t have to pay for any of those services. Once I had a steady job and was able to move into my own apartment, I told myself that one day I would work at Haven.
I started working the night shift in the residential home and then moved to first shift when a manager told me I could be a peer support worker. They said they thought I would be good at it, so I completed the peer support training and am now a mental health peer supervisor.
Having nine peer support certifications allows me to share my story and tell the people we serve what has worked for me. It also helps build relationships and connect them with other services here at Haven. This work has given me a different perspective that helps me not only with the people I serve, but also in my personal life.
I’m happiest when I’m working because I get to connect with others who have had similar experiences. I can sit across from a client and say, “I was just like you. Look at me now.”
Having been through and overcome similar situations myself, I have a better understanding of what clients need, so I started a group at Haven called AIM, which stands for Active in My Recovery. We offer weekly classes and an open space for clients to learn coping skills, creative expression, and work on self-esteem and relationships.
On a typical day, I work with the AIM recovery group in the morning, then update my case notes and follow up with clients seeking clinical services before heading to the AIM drop-in center in the afternoon.
While it is difficult when clients leave without getting the help they need, seeing clients progress and eventually leave Haven is incredibly rewarding. Some even come back later to thank us for the support they needed.
I’m celebrating 12 years of recovery and am grateful to work for an organization that helps thousands of clients each year. The work we do at Haven is hard, but I’m just one example of how someone can turn their life around and find happiness again.
