For over two years, Jonatan was a resident of CHD’s Crossover program in Hartford, CT, one of CHD’s Residential Rehabilitation Services (RRS) serving individuals with mental illness and co-occurring mental illness and substance use issues to help those served transition back into the community.

With support from Crossover’s dedicated staff, Jonatan has worked to build an array of skills through the program’s many educational groups and services, like cooking and cleaning skills, coping skills, budgeting and financial management groups and more, to hone both his social and practical skills. He also secured a job at BJ’s Wholesale, which he has had for over a year and come to really enjoy.

Both the program’s array of supportive services and his job at BJ’s have helped Jonatan work toward becoming more self-sufficient and gaining independence, and both have propelled him closer to an important goal of his: to one day have his own apartment.

Having recently completed the program, Jonatan is well on his way to achieving just that.

In June 2020, Jonatan transitioned from Crossover to CHD’s Community Transitional Living Program (CTLP), a residential support program that provides intensive support to people with chronic mental illness and substance use issues who can live on their own. The program assists participants with all areas of daily living needs, including financial management, meal prep, education counseling, and treatment oversight with the goal of fostering greater independence.

“I’ve really liked it here [Crossover],” Jonatan said, just days before he would transition to CTLP. “They’ve really helped me a lot.”

Though Jonatan is excited for this next step he said he will miss being with the Crossover staff and fellow residents, who have all come to know one another as one big family.