When Becky, a REACH care manager, met Cody*, he was living in a trailer in South King County. It was desolate; he had no water or waste hook ups and the way Cody describes it, he had been a recluse for 17 years.
That wasn’t the way things used to be for Cody. He was born and raised in Burien. He built cars, knew everyone in the neighborhood, and was close to his mother. But after the deaths of a few dear friends and his mother, he moved into the trailer and fell farther and farther from society. He hadn’t been able to see a doctor or a counselor, refill his medication, or connect with social services.
Because of his time off the grid, Cody and Becky started with small steps like getting an ID card. Becky remembers how Cody shaved off his big salt and pepper beard for his first new ID in twenty years; he looked like a totally different man, stepping into the world feeling proud and confident. They then used that ID to apply for housing, and his very first application was accepted.
Cody moved into his apartment in April 2017. It has been a new beginning for him. He can be around people as often as he likes, go grocery shopping regularly, and sleep in the warmth at night. Since he moved in, REACH has helped him establish care with a primary care provider, gotten him into the senior mental health care program, and begun the process of applying for state and federal benefits.
Cody’s life now is much more stable and enjoyable. He likes watching planes take off, the view of the sunset, and remembering times cruising with his friends between Alki and Saltwater State Park.
*This is an alias. Our client’s name was changed to protect his privacy.
