A male client called saying he needed help with “everything”. He spoke quietly and sounded distressed. He admitted he is an alcoholic and lost everything because of his drinking and doesn’t know what to do. An appointment was made for him the following day to talk to the advocate.
He showed up on time but the advocate smelled liquor on his breath. He was pale and looked like he was holding back tears throughout the meeting. He asked for rental assistance and help with his power bill. He wasn’t working due to his alcohol problem. The advocate said Fishline would review his request to get help with his bills after he did the following: 1) completed detox, 2) returned to AA, 3) met with a financial counselor, and 4) dealt with his traffic ticket.
Since his first meeting, he has followed through with all of his assigned tasks and maintained contact with the advocate. He started working again. He met with the HSC navigator and was approved for rental assistance. He contributed $100 to his auto insurance bill so Fishline paid the remainder of his bill with Lions Club funding. The client shops weekly for food and stops to say hello to the Advocate, where he is greeted with a smile and receives positive comments for his continued sobriety. Last week, the client wrote a note to the Lions Club and Fishline to thank us for the support during this difficult time.