Meet Shaun
Shaun moved into a new apartment just three weeks before he shared his story with us. He’d been living unsheltered for a few years, and had worked with several programs and supports in the area, which he said left him feeling apprehensive. When he joined Pathways, he felt more comfortable. As he put it, “you guys actually care.”
When Shaun first joined Team 9, he moved into an apartment in just one week. He wasn’t quite ready to stop using substances, and he still ran with his old crowd. As Shaun told us, “I had a problem saying no. But I learned my lesson. Not everyone’s my friend.” And that’s our biggest takeaway from talking to Shaun: he’s got a heart of gold, and he wants to help as many people as he can.
However, before he helped others, he learned that he first had to help himself. Shaun participated in our Sublocade pilot program to treat his opioid use disorder. Sublocade is an injectable medication that curbs withdrawal symptoms for a month; most medications for OUD are daily or weekly. Using a monthly injectable is the difference between deciding to be sober every day and deciding to be sober once. Our pilot program helped to address a common issue for our participants – lack of income and selling their medication for cash.
Shaun says once that first injection started working, he didn’t even think about it. He now spends time handing out Narcan, an overdose reversal tool, in the areas where he used to use drug himself. It’s that desire to help people coming out again – this time, in a way that doesn’t hurt Shaun in the process.
He tries to keep busy in other ways as well. With his team’s help, he’s started to set some goals. He hasn’t been eating much, and he tends to self-isolate. As a result, he’s making plans to be more consistent with eating, and he’s planning to start visiting museums in Philly – he likes history especially. He’s also interested in joining our Restaurant Club to try new cuisines around the city with other participants.
Shaun told us he’s “just trying to live life on life's terms.” He’s considering taking the classes required to become a Certified Recovery Specialist. He told us, “It's hard to talk to somebody who's never been in your shoes before. Never been in the streets.” He wants to be that person that others can feel comfortable talking about their troubles with.
When it comes to Pathways, Shaun says “You guys don't judge people. You guys know me. Everybody's always in decent mood, like human. I never had a problem talking to them. And they always care about my well being. They just care. It's like you guys are one of us. Like, you don't dress in suits. I feel comfortable here.”
