Brandon

Brandon has been receiving care and assistance from Catholic Charities since he turned 18 in 2018. Growing up under the care of Children’s Services, Brandon was prone to anxiety and depression and struggled with his mental health, especially when it came time for him to transition out of his group home and navigate adulthood without Children’s Services. At that time, he was referred to Catholic Charities and connected with Lisa, his counselor. Together, Brandon and Lisa work on cognitive behavioral therapy as well as other goals Brandon has set for himself, such as getting his driver's license.

When the pandemic hit, Brandon was glad to have Lisa for support and guidance. “I felt trapped,” says Brandon, thinking about the beginning of the pandemic. “There was no place to go…I had to stay inside and where I work was closed. I couldn’t see my friends or do any of the things I liked to do anymore, so I stayed home and played video games.”

Fortunately for Brandon, Catholic Charities was able to quickly implement telehealth services in the early stages of the pandemic. “Thank goodness for telehealth,” says Lisa, a mental health therapist employed by Catholic Charities. “We were still able to have all of our meetings and check-in with our clients on Zoom or FaceTime, and I think that was such an added bonus because we didn’t stay out of contact.” She continues, “Brandon called whenever he needed something and we were still able to work on his goals.”

Since receiving assistance from Catholic Charities, Brandon has made great improvements in his independence and mental health. He went from living with support staff to remote monitoring to moving into his own apartment by himself. “Catholic Charities helped me a lot,” says Brandon. “Through the thick and thin, they were there to support me and help me continue to achieve my goals. Over the last two years, we’ve got a lot of things accomplished. I’m grateful to have them, especially during the pandemic when things got tough.”

To help Brandon and others receive help and hope from Catholic Charities Mental Health & Addiction Services, visit catholiccommunity.org/health or text CCHEALTH to 41444. All donations will be doubled up to $100,000 throughout the month of June.

Catholic Charities provides mental health programs and services across all eight counties in the Diocese of Cleveland and offers professional, affordable counseling both in-person and through telehealth. People in need of Mental Health and Addiction Services can call the Catholic Charities Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-860-7373 or visit www.ccdocle.org/service-areas/mental-health/.