FCYU-Feature Story

Transition Terrors
Better IL needed for people with mental illness

By Erica Harrigan Orr

The first time I went to my bank alone, I was completely lost. I was too scared to go up to the teller’s desk to deposit my money, so I just went to the ATM. I thought “How hard could this be?” Harder than I thought. I didn’t know about the envelopes, so I put the money straight into the slot and it got stuck.

I had no choice but to go into the bank and ask the teller for help. I started to feel tightness in my chest like a panic attack was on its way. The closer I got the tighter my chest became.

It turned out OK in the end; I didn’t have a panic attack, and the teller showed me how to put the money in an envelope and fill out the forms. But I wish I had been better prepared for this and for other first times that were difficult for someone like me with a mental illness.

IL Classes

I’ve been in and out of foster care since I was an infant. As a teen I lived in a RTC (residential treatment center) for severely abused kids. I went from there into a supervised IL (independent living) home.

Living in IL was one step away from living on my own, but the system paid all the bills and gave us cash to shop for food and clothes and to do laundry. IL staff helped us with finances and budgeting. At age 21 I permanently left the system, and that transition was harder than it needed to be.

All teens in care in NYC who are preparing to age out are required to go to IL classes. They’re supposed to help you learn how to be independent. But not everybody can learn the basic stuff IL teaches. Many young people in foster care have a mental illness, and many of us need more than just the basic IL lessons. Aging out itself is extremely stressful, and more support would have helped me.

Adapting IL Classes

The IL classes I took once a week were set up like a game show. The prizes were things like a broom and a frying pan—but they never actually showed us how to clean and cook. I think IL classes should teach those basics. They should also include a trip to the bank, to the grocery store, and every other new place. They should also help more with Section 8, food stamps, and Medicaid.

A staff member to help me with moving and a therapist to calm me down about the transition would have been another useful part of IL. IL classes for people with mental illnesses should extend a few years beyond aging out.

The mental health services I’ve been getting since I aged out and had a child have helped me manage my fears better than what I got in IL. I have a SCM (supportive case manager), a social worker, and a homemaker. The homemaker manages the household and helps me with my motherly activity seven hours a day, five days a week. ACS (NYC’s child welfare system) told me about all three and Medicaid pays for them. Anyone who has a serious medical condition, a major disability, or is struggling mentally and needs help with parenting can get these services.

My SCM comes for a house visit twice a month to ensure that I am taking my medication and continuing my treatment. She also accompanies me to appointments when I am unable to do it alone, but she encourages me to try it alone first. She has suggested a type of therapy called Dialectical Behavior Therapy, where she takes me into a situation that’s hard for me and shows me ways to overcome my fear.

IL staff did go places with me, but it wasn’t the same because my SCM is trained to cope with serious emotional issues. People like me, who want to be more independent but sometimes need a little help managing our mental illness, could use more from IL. Now that I have good services, I realize how much better IL could be.

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