LSSI Provides Persistence Pays Off Mid-Year Results

# of Ivy Tech clients served 30

How many Ivy Tech referrals were made to LSSI? 18

# of PFW clients served 26

How many PFW referrals were made to LSSI? 19

Success Story

When Bree began working with her PPO case manager, she was on academic probation, struggling emotionally, financially, and mentally. She lacked confidence in problem-solving. She was unsure where to start with setting and achieving goals.

Her PPO case manager talked to Bree to understand how she was feeling from an emotional perspective. Bree completed the ACE assessment and Depression Scale. Her results indicated that she needed consistent encouragement and support, struggling with her mental health. Her case manager referred Bree for individual counseling services, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy through Balance Works (LSSI’s Mental Health Initiative). Bree and her case manager created a Safety Plan to identify both formal and informal supports and distracting methods when suicidal ideations and/or thoughts of self-harm are present.

As Bree continued to meet with her case manager, she shared that she was struggling financially and worried about transportation and food. Through the PPO program, Bree was able to receive financial assistance to help with her short-term transportation and food needs for her family. Bree and her case manager then worked and developed a plan that would address her transportation and food needs more long-term.

In addition to financial literacy, Bree worked on how to efficiently manage her time to balance: studying, practicing self-care, being more aware of her needs in order to communicate them, creating goals, and practicing consistent healthy habits to achieve overall better mental and physical health.

Through the support provided by her case manager, Bree successfully completed the program. At the time of discharge, Bree’s grades significantly improved, she was no longer on academic probation and was employed through a work-study position with the TRIO department. She also became involved with social groups within her college campus community to help with her self-care and mental health.

Our results demonstrate that providing services and fundamentally supporting families, who are building stability, actually leads to a healthier community. Our impact creates real change when we walk alongside participants like Bree to help them reduce barriers and build resources to achieve their goals. Without our services, Bree may never have been able to identify her mental health struggles and the need for therapy services.

Impact

We are grateful for our partnership with United Way of Allen County. Throughout this past year, LSSI staff continued to “focus on equipping willing families…with the skills necessary to make positive life choices”. We believe it was extremely important that we remained steadfast to our mission and impact. We have kept our work with participants grounded on the concept that it is best they do all they can for themselves with the guidance and assistance of us as service providers.

Funds from the United Way have allowed us to fill a gap in our community by providing services to a much-needed population that would otherwise not qualify for other community resources. Our advocacy, coaching, and connection with Ivy Tech and PFW are essential parts of our services in order to help college students remain in school and achieve their educational goals.