Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (P.A.T.H.): That Will Be All
Beyond the cityscape of skyscrapers is a green park, an oasis for those seeking respite from concrete and blacktopped roads. There, on a bench near a bus stop, a woman rested. This space was her home. She was a familiar face in the neighborhood, the locals treated her with kindness. They knew her only as “Lisa.”
Like every other day, she sat on the bench adorned in sunglasses, her grey and white hair flowing out from under her two hats, one stacked on top of the other. She wore various layers of shirts and pants which she kept on year-round, no matter the season. And that late summer afternoon wasn’t any different thank so many others until someone came to join her.
As part of her work as a case manager for FrontLine Service, Jennifer Santora approached the woman with the hope of getting to know her. Lisa initially rebuffed Jennifer’s friendly offers of assistance, but as Jennifer’s visits to her continued, she slowly began to accept small kindnesses: a bus pass, snacks or water. Any further offers from Jennifer to help Lisa find permanent housing were met with lowered eyes and the constant refrain, “That will be all.”
Day after day Jennifer returned to the park beyond the city to see Lisa. She learned that Lisa suffered from multiple mental illnesses which had been undiagnosed and untreated for many years. She had lived with her mother for most of her life until her mother’s dementia made it impossible for her to care for herself or Lisa. Her mother was moved to an assisted living facility and the family house was sold. Lisa had nowhere to go—confused and afraid—she began living on the street. She lived this way for three years, alone, trusting no one enough to let them help her.
Jennifer’s concern for Lisa increased as the seasons changed, the winter days becoming frigid. But Lisa continued to refuse Jennifer’s offer to help her find housing, accepting only the small items that Jennifer brought her and quietly saying, while continuing to avoid eye contact, ‘That will be all’. It was during one of Ohio’s cold winter afternoons as she was looking for Lisa on the streets, that Jennifer learned she had been hospitalized following a disruptive interaction with authorities. She found Lisa in a bed at the psychiatric hospital, upset, fearful and completely out of her element.
The sterilized hospital environment was far from Lisa’s familiar surroundings of the park and the open air of the outdoors. But it was here that Lisa began to receive the treatment that she needed for so long. And she finally accepted Jennifer’s repeated offers of support. Lisa agreed to move into a group home and with Jennifer’s help completed the required paperwork. Upon discharge from the hospital, Jennifer drove her to the group home. It had been more than three years, but Lisa was once again living indoors. A huge transition from the life Lisa had known on the streets, Jennifer remained vigilant, continuing to provide the support and services that Lisa needed to make this transition successfully.
It took time. It took time for Lisa to accept help. It took time for her to begin, and to continue to receive medication to address her mental health challenges. It took time for Lisa to begin to feel comfortable again living within a home. And it took time for Lisa to trust Jennifer enough that she would lower her sunglasses to show her eyes and smile at the sight of her when she visited, happily greeting her.
Now, Lisa works with a new case manager from Integrated Dual Disorder Program, another FrontLine program. After a few meetings, Lisa made that transition easily, working with a new face in an agency that she had grown to fully trust, thanks to her connection to Jennifer. And even though Lisa now works with a new case manager, Jennifer still makes sure to come by every now and again, always asking Lisa how she is doing. More often than not, Lisa makes eye contact with her and replies that she’s doing well, then smiles and sends her off with a “that will be all.”
This story is based on true events with names, images, and identifying information changed to protect the identity of the individual.