A few months ago, Paul D., who had been living in Sunken Meadow, Building 81, with 24-hour supervised care, stepped into a new world. He moved to apartment treatment and began living with two other roommates in a house.

Independence is something that many Federation clients long for and work hard to attain. As Paul discovered, there is a period of adjustment while getting accustomed to being on one’s own.

Kimberly Wighton, who was the senior counselor for his apartment treatment program, said that Paul is is making tremendous progress.

“It’s nice to see someone like Paul come from Building 81 to apartment treatment,” Wighton said. “It’s a wonderful progression to see him go through the stages of becoming more independent.”

One of Paul’s biggest challenges was getting used to no longer having 24/7 on-site staff members to help resolve challenges any time of day. Wighton said that Paul is learning that many questions do not require immediate answers and  we encourage him to solve problems over time.

Paul, who is in his 60s and has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, is also learning about boundaries with roommates. Wighton has used humor to point out that not everything in the refrigerator belongs to him.

Paul now manages his finances, shops for groceries, prepares meals, and takes his medication as prescribed. Adept as socializing, he is making new friends.

A typical day for Paul might look like this: He makes oatmeal or has cereal for breakfast, then decides whether to go for a walk in the neighborhood or head out shopping with a Peer Specialist. Later, he sits down to dinner and chats about the day with his roommates.

As Wighton points out, Paul’s journey to independence is already a success story.