LLOYD
I’m a Navy veteran. I’ve been struggling with alcoholism for a long time. I don’t think the professionals really understand addiction. They think it’s a will power thing, but it’s not. I knew something was wrong and I had to keep going back to VA hospitals and finally I was diagnosed with Bipolar in 1999. They told me it would take four to five years before they got the medication right. Well, it took five years. I went to a dual diagnosis program in Lake City, and I finally got it right, or they got it right, or we got it right--I don’t know how you want to put it. It is a disease and it has different components. I drank to change the way I felt and it wasn’t a social thing or anything. With medication all those negative feelings are gone.
My case manager and the program allowed me to transition down here. I’m now working thirty-six hours a week at the hospital--they’re talking about going permanent. I’ve also set up long-term housing and it’s all because of the case managers and the VA. They didn’t hold my hand; they told me what was available and I went after it. They didn’t baby-sit me. I will have my own apartment probably in two weeks. With the care I finally got at Lake City and the program here, I finally got some help and it all started in 1972. I just don’t think people understand. They see a drunk and that’s all they see. They don’t see what’s behind it.

MITCHELL
My name is Mitchell and I’m a Marine veteran. I’ve been on drugs and alcohol since leaving Vietnam. I’ve tried a number of times to get clean but the addiction made it difficult. The educational classes here helped me find out more information about my addiction. This is a sickness and it can’t really be cured, but it can be helped with education and learning ways to stay clean. I am here at the Bailey program and it’s helping me, because I don’t have housing. I was in the street. I didn’t choose to go in the street, but it just happened because of my drinking and my drugging. I lost all kinds of things that I had--all materials. I even lost self-esteem. The VA and the program I’m in have given me another opportunity to reach out for life once again. I have been here, at this program, sixty days and it is a thirty to ninety day program. I’m filling out papers for VOA (Volunteers of America) and I’m hoping and praying that I am chosen to be in that program, because after this I really don’t have any where to go. I mean I have family in Ocala, but everything belongs to them and not me. VOA helps you stay on the right track. They help you with schooling, and they’ll feed you and provide a place for living. It’s basically everything you need to get back at a stable level. All I have to do is just stay clean. That’s what I’m working on—staying clean and trying to get a life back for myself, which was destroyed by my addiction.

HAROLD
I’m an Army veteran. I was chronically homeless since the 80’s. I was living in my car when a case manager interviewed me, and I told her I wasn’t eligible for anything. She encouraged me to fill out an application, and I did so. I found out I was accepted into Bailey. It’s been a very positive thing. Everyone treats me pretty well and that’s about it.

LAVERN
I’m a nurse practitioner and I have worked at the VA for about five years in primary care and in a specialty clinic. I started volunteering with the HCHV program and then, when a job became available, I applied and moved over to fulltime. Basically, I’m the case manager for this transitional housing unit. I try to come at least once a week to meet all the guys in a group like setting. We try to discuss any issues that anybody individually or as a whole has with the house. If there are no issues with the house, then I go around individually and find out how the client did during the week --if they had any concerns or any questions. I try to figure out if they are on track with their treatment program and try to figure out where they are in the process of finding more permanent housing. This is a short term/transitional housing facility so when they come, they know that they have a short amount of time. During that time, I try to work on getting them to long-term housing. Temporary housing is usually thirty to ninety days; the stay can be extended on an individual basis and at the same time the client can be let go at a moments notice because we are trying to provide a clean, sober environment. We can’t allow one person to disrupt that environment for the other veterans

I really get my rewards from helping the veterans succeed. I like to see them achieve their goals. They make their goals, they tell me what it is they’d like to do and I try to help them as much as I can to achieve those goals.

DONALD
Lavern is my case manager and I was selected by her to be the house manager. I think this is a very good program that we are involved in, because it makes it conducive for us to have temporary housing in the process of getting a permanent housing situation. They also provide educational benefits in the event that we need that. This program allows us to obtain a higher education and makes it possible to obtain permanent work in the hospital if we so desire. And most importantly, we maintain a clean, sober environment here. There are certain curfews that we have to adhere to as far as coming in and out. It’s a very good program to rehabilitate your life style. I am currently involved in treatment classes and this environment is more favorable to my sobriety than my previous living conditions. It’s a good program because the VA takes care of our medical issues as well as food and housing.

RICKY
My name is Ricky. I’m a recovering addict and alcoholic. I went into treatment in November of last year and I got out in February. I’ve been here now about two or three weeks. I’m trying to get my life back together. The VA has done a lot for me. They have paid for me to be in treatment and they’re paying for me to be in the house. There are some good guys here in the house and we share a lot of things in common. I’ve also been in the dual diagnosis program. That means I got treatment for Bipolar and drug use. I finished that program and I’m just glad to be here.

I think people look at us different. As long as I’m on my medication, I’m balanced. I’m just like everyone else. I just have a disease of bipolar and addiction. I don’t think all people see addiction as a disease. I’m not responsible for my disease but I’m responsible for my recovery. I’ve been sober for going on ninety days, because while in treatment I relapsed. I go all over for meetings. Sometimes I attend two meetings a day; it all depends on the situation.

When I leave here I hope to get my own place.