Our success story is about a 24-year-old, single, white male who identifies as part of the LBGTQ community and resides in Morrow County, Ohio. Morrow County has a population of 34, 827 and is considered a rural county. This consumer was referred to us by a therapist at Central Ohio Mental Health Center on July 8, 2015 and he remains active in our follow up process. During this period of follow up, this consumer has struggled with several obstacles. He has faced mood dysregulation from bipolar disorder, periods of unemployment, homelessness, sexual orientation stigma, incest, rape, and the suicide of his brother. During the 8 month period our agency has made seventeen (17) outreach calls to this consumer providing essential emotional support, emergency financial assistance, links to counseling and support groups, housing, and job counseling. This consumer’s biggest challenge has been the loneliness and isolation he faces with being an extreme minority with respect to the area in which he lives. He feels ostracized by his family and his community due to his sexual orientation and he struggles to find others of whom he can relate. He recognizes his challenges when dealing with bipolar disorder and battles suicidal thoughts due to the instability of his mental health and his past experiences with trauma. He has said that he finds the most support from his psychiatrist and HelpLine, stating that we “are his rock and have gotten him through.” As a result of Helpline’s connection this consumer has developed a safety plan, which involves contacting our agency. Our agency has met our goal to keep him safe as he continues to strive for personal goals of stability and functionality.
