Supported Education Success Story

Jan 20, 2022

success story

​Caylee is living with Bipolar 1 Disorder and came to LifeWorks NW for help. She was engaging in risky behavior, her thoughts were racing, and she wasn’t managing basic life skills.

“At LifeWorks NW, our focus is on supporting clients holistically,” says Jen Burke, Supported Education specialist. “She received counseling through our Rehab program, worked with our medical team for the appropriate medication, and is participating in our Supported Education program because going back to school was a goal for her.”

Both the staff and Caylee feel she is doing really well, fully engaging in LifeWorks NW’s collaborative programs.

“I have not been hospitalized for two years and that is huge,” Caylee says. “I got my life in order and most important [I’m] being equipped to manage my illness.”

Since working with LifeWorks NW to manage her health issues, Caylee now feels capable of raising her daughter and focuses on maintaining good relationships with others.  She has now held a job for four years successfully.

“Caylee is going to school and doing well in it; getting good grades,” says Jen. “And she’s found it isn’t just about learning, but also discovering that she is capable of doing the work and succeeding. This self-knowledge is a very important part of her success.”

And according to Caylee, she now can manage her household, her finances, medication, self-care and exercise. She even has a well-cared-for dog.

She believes a large part of this success relates to learning time management and creating more structure in her life. ‘To do’ lists have become important for her. She no longer misses appointments, or if she must, Caylee lets people know in advance if she can’t make it. In order to remember exactly when to take her medication, she sets an alarm; and she says she is religious about attending counseling sessions.

LifeWorks NW’s integrated programs have ensured that Caylee can look at her life and create and meet goals far beyond simple medication management. Instead, she’s been able to manage and improve all aspects of her life, from parenting to self-care, from exercising her body to educating her mind. Bipolar 1 requires a lifetime of caring for oneself and working with those who care to support you.”

Caylee is really dedicated to her schooling, and her career goal of becoming an interior designer,” says Jen. “She holds herself to very high standards of success and should be really proud of what she’s accomplished so far. Everyone on the team is really happy to see her so successful and working towards her dreams. We look forward to seeing where it takes her.”