Heartbeat of the Hub #4: “They helped me turn my life around” – David shares his story

David shares his experiences accessing services at the Integrated Care Hub and the powerful impact that compassionate, consistent care can have on someone’s journey.

“If it wasn’t for the Hub, I don’t think I would still be here”

The Integrated Care Hub has been one of the best experiences I’ve had when trying to find help with anything. All of the staff here are good, kind, non-judgmental, and easy to talk to.

Some of the things that I have needed help with have been out of the scope of care for the Integrated Care Hub, but my case manager has gone above and beyond to make sure I got the help that I needed to be successful.

My case manager and I have had many long and therapeutic conversations, and at the end of each conversation she makes sure that I am okay and will check in with me whenever I need it. I have experienced lots of workers in my past saying that they will do things and assist me but never would follow up with me. My case manager here at the Integrated Care Hub meets my needs, especially with my brain injury and memory issues.

When the Integrated Care Hub closed, I thought all the progress I was making with my case manager was going to fall through the cracks, but my worker stayed on top of everything I needed and followed through despite the circumstances. I was always moving around in the community because I didn’t know where else to go, but my worker always somehow found me and met me where I was at. My case worker helps me find the drive to wake up in the morning and keep pushing forward.

I also spent time in the Stabilization program at 206 Concession St., and it was very helpful. I was asked to leave the program because of my own actions, but I still hold the program in high regard, and I think everything about the program was amazing.

My case manager helped me through every step of getting into the program, by reminding me of meetings and appointments, and checking in with me after appointments to see how everything went. When I was at the Stabilization program, there was a staff member who saw that I was having a bad day, and she sat on the floor with me and listened to me. Her sitting on the floor with me made me feel seen and like I could talk to her about things that I have never told anyone before.

The Integrated Care Hub is a very unique place. In my life I have experienced many different drop-in programs, shelters, CTS programs, and agencies. The Integrated Care Hub is the best program I have ever experienced. The staff that work here are all caring and supportive and provide the best overall care I have ever experienced. I have not had a single bad experience with the staff that work here.

I look forward to accessing services here because of the staff. All the staff are knowledgeable about resources that are available to me, and they have helped me turn my life around.

Anytime I meet someone who is also experiencing homelessness, I tell them to go to the Integrated Care Hub. There are so many different resources available here, and it really feels like a one-stop shop. I don’t have to go to multiple different buildings to get the care that I need because it is all right here.

The Integrated Care Hub is an amazing resource and all of us that access services here need it for survival. Even the community changed when the Hub shut down back in September. For us, we had nowhere else to go and it was scary. We weren’t getting our usual support and everything was unsafe. Even the community members felt it was unsafe. The Integrated Care Hub makes the community better. I was nervous and angry when the closure happened, but once it reopened, I felt safe again.

 All of the people that access services here look out for each other. There have been many times I have wanted to work on my sobriety, and when I would tell my peers about that, they would never push drugs on me. When I lived in Toronto, I had the exact opposite experience, so it was really refreshing to experience something like this. The Integrated Care Hub helps me with resources, staying accountable, but most important helps me feel included and accepted for who I am, no matter where I’m at in life.