Brian

Brian moved to a two-person home supported by CSI in 2003. He had last lived in out-of-state placements and in a behavioral health center. Throughout his first two years with CSI, it was apparent that Brian was an unhappy person, struggling with several issues.

He expressed his anger both verbally and physically through self-mutilation, elopement, refusal to take his medications, and physical aggression towards staff and peers. The latter caused his being arrested. His almost daily destruction of property caused major damage to his home – broken windows, holes in the walls, destroyed furniture, and doors torn from the hinges.

In the past year Brian has shown tremendous progress. Brian helped to write this life summary. We asked him to write on one side of the paper “How I Felt / Acted Then” and on the other side “How I Feel / Act Now”. His words speak for themselves:

  • I was in the psych hospital
  • I was in and out of hospitals
  • I was punching holes in the walls
  • I would start something and never finish it
  • I would walk off from my home
  • I would attack staff
  • I would fight other clients
  • I was not able to handle responsibility
  • I have unsupervised time, and doing well with it
  • I got a punching bag and I am using it a lot
  • I started bowling and won a gold medal in the Special Olympics
  • I’m interacting with the staff more often, and gaining their trust
  • I stopped cutting myself
  • I’m having a lot more responsibility and handling it well

Now, Brian lives in his own apartment and has two unsupervised hours daily, in which he frequently walks to the local shopping center. He has requested to learn how to ride the bus system independently. The issues that were so prevalent in his past have practically subsided. Brian has shown that he is more in control of his anger and seeks help when he may feel overwhelmed. Brian has come a long way and should, as he does, feel proud.