Pioneer's Foundational Community Supports Housing Team Provide a Path to Stability

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Our Foundational Community Supports (FCS) housing team shared a few inspiring success stories involving supportive housing services team members assisting people in turning their lives around. Our FCS housing and employment specialists offer support to anyone who is Medicaid-eligible - even if they are not a client in another Pioneer program.

Mike

Mike struggled with a long-term and chronic substance use disorder (SUD), legal involvement, incarcerations and significant mental health symptoms. He was referred to our co-occurring (CORP) residential treatment program where he engaged in the treatment and graduated. CORP treats individuals that have co-occurring SUD and mental health issues. 

Since graduating from CORP, our FCS supportive housing specialist, Karis Bjerke, worked with Mike and secured subsidized housing where he remains a member of a supportive housing program. Mike has maintained both his recovery from an SUD and his mental health stability. He is working part time and thriving in his new life. 

Often, Mike shares how grateful he is to be working and to have the ability to take care of his own basic needs without seeking donations for hygiene and clothes. Mike is a perfect example of a returning citizen that has become a productive member of society.

Karis Bjerke, FCS supportive housing specialist (pictured), shared, “Mike really put a huge amount of effort into his treatment and recovery. It had been a life or death situation for him and Mike chose recovery and blossomed. He is continuing to stay on track and pull his life together - including reunifying with his family that formerly had been estranged due to his problems with addiction.”

Gerald

After 20 years of incarceration, Gerald was introduced to the FCS housing team and was open to their offer of assistance in securing supportive housing. During this time, Gerald also landed a full-time job with Franz Bakery. He is very thankful to have secured a stable job. 

The FCS supportive housing team assisted Gerald in utilizing TAP funding to help pay for his move-in costs for his apartment. He now lives in West Seattle and often expresses how wonderful life is now that he has integrated back into the community. Gerald has also expressed the desire to work with youth and young adults to help them understand that living a life of substance use and crime is not "cool" and only leads to incarceration.

Karis Bjerke stated, “Gerald has been driven since engaging with the supportive housing team. After 20 years of incarceration, it has been wonderful to walk alongside him as he changed his lifestyle and overcame many barriers. Gerald has shown immense gratitude for the FCS supportive housing program that helped him to gain and maintain independent housing.”