Every year, 50 men and women participate in HopeWorks’ Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) program – one of only two such programs in Albuquerque. PSR aims to provide support, education, and guidance for people with mental illness and their families. Our program enables our clients to reintegrate back into society through social, wellness, and recovery activities. Activities range from helping with therapy and medications, counseling, social/community outings, social and peer-to-peer support, training, and more.
Meet Kelly – A Long Road to Healing
Kelly grew up in Belen. Her early life was happy and relatively normal. It wasn’t until her early 30s that she started to feel the onset of her mental illness.
Living and working in Arizona, Kelly could feel the her mental illness coming to the forefront of her life, and she soon lost her job. She survived for as long as she could on her meager savings. During this time, her mental illness continued to progress. She barely left the house, lost 50 pounds, and no longer found joy in any of her favorite activities.
Eventually she could no longer support herself and was forced to reach out to her family. When her brother arrived to help her back to New Mexico, the power had already been off for three months, leaving her to live in the unbearable Arizona heat without respite.
After living with her brother for a while, Kelly’s family started to become frustrated with her and couldn’t accept how her
mental illness was affecting her. Kelly knew that she needed professional help to cope with her depression.
In her search, she found Hope Works and was connected with the PSR program. When asked about the benefits of PSR, she says, “PSR has given me opportunities to share my pain with others in a supportive, caring environment. This sense of
community is key for people with mental illness.” Since joining the program, Kelly has progressed in understanding and
managing her depression.
Kelly has high hopes for the future, including going back to school and getting a job where she will be able to help others.