Heartbreak led to a downward spiral for Laquan H. Kicked out of his home when he quit college, he tried to build a life while staying with friends, working and saving money. Then things took a tragic turn. His grandmother, who he was very close to, passed away. His best friend was killed, and the mother of another close friend died. “I really couldn’t take it,” he said.

He struggled with his mental health, bounced from shelter to shelter and ended up in jail. He used drugs to numb the emotional pain and make him more comfortable in environments full of strangers.

One night in 2020, an interaction with police landed him at St. Thomas Hospital. That was the turning point – a case manager from CSS talked to him about finding housing. He eagerly accepted the offer. “I was willing to wait to transition to a better life,” he said.

Laquan stayed at a shelter until he was placed in a group home. Nine months later, he moved into an apartment provided through the Blue Heron program offered at CSS. Clients who are enrolled in the program receive intensive case management, so they can gain the skills and knowledge to maintain their housing. They also are linked with service providers, substance use treatment options and doctors.

Handling his own bills was a new challenge, but Laquan enjoyed the freedom of his own space, freedom he didn’t have when staying at a shelter or with friends. That motivated him to keep working hard, paying his rent, taking his medication and keeping his appointments. “When it’s all said and done, you’ve got to keep going,” he said. “From small stuff to giant, you have to just be grateful at the chance as it is.”

Laquan has been in his apartment for three years now and currently works as a full-time shift lead manager at Taco Bell. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing video games, recording hip hop songs and spending time with his 8-year-old son, “working to get him to be the best he can be.” He’s also saving for a car and dreams of returning to college to get a degree in information technology.

Dawn Rohrig, who oversees the Blue Heron program, is thrilled with his progress. “Laquan has worked hard since coming into the program. He has been able to keep his focus on his goals and to overcome any barriers presented to him to be able to spend time with his family, obtain and maintain a job he enjoys and does well, and to independently keep his apartment,” she said. “We are very proud of him and congratulate him on a job well done!”

Laquan encourages others who are struggling to accept help, noting that the path to a better life sometimes requires a boost. “CSS is a good program to start with. You just have got to give it all it takes,” he said. “You can depend on somebody else instead of just depending on yourself. All you’ve got to do is go for it and move forward all of the time.”