When Cheyenne came to live at Pleasant Hill Place (PHP), she had just had her first child, Jasmine. She was referred to us by Family Services so she could retain custody of Jasmine while she demonstrated recovery from Substance Use Disorder and developed the life skills necessary to raise a child independently.
Cheyenne was committed to using her time at PHP to break the cycle. “I feel like my life has changed drastically since I’ve had Jasmine. I haven’t really thought much about using the drugs or going back to that life. I know how my life was because my mother did drugs and then she left me and I just don’t want that to be the same for Jasmine,” she said.
Staff taught Cheyenne how to play with Jasmine through different stages of her growth, how to introduce solid foods, and other fundamentals of parenting. They also supported Cheyenne’s individual growth through teaching her how to budget, making sure she got to addictions and counselling appointments, and helping her to think about what she might like to work towards in terms of employment. “I definitely see a future in my life not just like ‘When’s my next meal gonna be’ or ‘Where am I gonna stay for the night.’ It’s more like ‘Am I gonna go back to school?’ ‘Am I gonna get a car and a license?’ ‘Am I gonna put Jasmine in activities?’” Cheyenne said. “I just want Jasmine to have the best life she can.”
Our staff are now working with Cheyenne to transition her and her daughter out into semi-supported living or independent living in the coming months. “The staff believe in me and are proud of me and how far I’ve come. They say it shows in every way,” Cheyenne said. “I’m proud of myself too.”
When asked where she feels she is at in her journey, Cheyenne says it’s a “really positive place…I’m quite happy with Jasmine and when I look at her I just see a bright future ahead.”