Kicking Butt at Life

By Katie Carmichael

Please, everyone, meet my friend Phillip. Phillip is an SLS client in the Far North Region. He is smart, funny, and determined. Phillip is a laid-back guy who goes with the flow. Ever since I met Phil, he has been nothing but sweet and a pleasure to get to know. As I learned more about Phil and his story, I quickly learned, that this guy is kicking butt at life. 

Supported LIving

Phillip came to Compass in 2017 and started out in ILS. Over the next 4 years, his social worker and people of support had noticed some concerning behavior with his health and overall wellbeing. Karleen his social worker and Kathleen his apartment manager knew his current situation wasn’t working well for him. His social worker Karleen had advocated and referred him to SLS to have more support that can better fit his needs. In 2021, Phillip transitioned to SLS, which has been a huge success in his life, health, and overall wellbeing. 

When Phillip transitioned to SLS, his people of support such as Kathleen, and Karleen weren’t sure how this would go. They thought that Phillip would opt out of SLS in a few weeks due to him not being a social guy and him having trouble accepting help. As Phillip`s support staff got to know him, he was very quiet and reserved. They learned that he hadn’t kept any of his physician appointments. He wasn’t interested in going out to any community events. His health was declining and his overall well-being was at risk. Additionally, Phillip wasn’t getting any exercise and was ordering pizza for most of his meals. Phillip’s staff was concerned for him. His staff immediately got to know him as a person and found out what he likes and dislikes. Most importantly they wanted to know how are they going to partner with him in a way that feels good to him? Well, all his staff have been a huge part of his story, but his lead staff Linda A is always going after what more is possible for this man. 

Way to Go

Today, Phillip has been in SLS for 10 months. Phillip is in good health. He loves to attend community events. Over the last 10 months, he has been to Compass’s Christmas party, the garden of lights, and to a Halloween party. He and his staff have been to Burney falls and other places in the community. Phillip attends an exercise class 2 x a week and is in a walking group. Phillip is now eating a variety of healthier foods, with fruits and vegetables in his diet. Lastly, Phillip has always wanted to get a bigger place, and with the help of his staff, he has accomplished this goal and has moved into a bigger apartment. Way to go Phillip!!!! 

You can view this article in the summer newsletter here.