Amber's Story

Meet Amber

A dedicated mother of two young children, Amber faced significant struggles with her mental health before giving birth to her second child, battling depression and feeling isolated without a strong support system. She feared that she could not attain the relief she hoped for and was particularly concerned about her mental health worsening even further from postpartum depression.

Reaching Out and Finding Emergency Support

Amber’s mental health challenges reached a crisis point the day after the birth of her second child, when her children were temporarily removed from their home by ACS. This became a turning point for Amber, motivating her to confront the severity of her situation and the impact that her depression was having on her and her family.

Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about the future, Amber realized she needed help keeping her family together. That is when she reached The Jewish Board and met Ryan, one of our social workers. With Ryan’s guidance and support, Amber began to set personal goals, focus on self-care, and work towards a better future for her family.

Finding a Path to Stability And Growth

Once Amber and her family were admitted into our program, Ryan and her team immediately took action, assessing her needs and offering the support and resources necessary to address her challenges and reach her goals. They worked closely with Amber to assess her needs and help her understand the resources and tools she had available.

As Amber’s social worker, Ryan provided consistent guidance throughout the process, from helping Amber create her personal plan to reach her specific goals, learning techniques that could improve her mental health, teaching Amber how to create a self-care routine, and showing her the external resources and tools that were also available to her and her family. To support Amber as she worked toward practical milestones to achieve her goals, we helped her stabilize her home environment and navigate the complex systems surrounding her, such as her unique family dynamics.

Building A Brighter Future

Focusing on Amber’s mental health, helping her set achievable goals, and reinforcing her progress played a crucial role in guiding her toward a more fulfilling future for herself and her children. As a result of Amber’s determination and the support of her care team, she has made significant progress. She has prioritized her mental health and well-being, a major shift from the depression she once felt, learned how to set and achieve realistic goals for herself, and received her medical assisting degree, obtaining certifications in phlebotomy and EKGs.

Additionally, Amber has worked hard to create a more stable and nurturing home environment by improving her relationships with others at work and the community and strengthening her role as a mother. Her ability to manage daily responsibilities while pursuing her personal goals reflects the progress she has made, and she continues to build a brighter future for herself and her children.

Since completing her time with Preventive Services, Amber has continued working hard on her career. She now has the support system needed to care for her two children, who are now 22 months old and 11 months old, and knows how to reach out if she needs support in the future. Her financial and familial goals are within reach, and she is steadily working towards achieving them. We are excited to hear from Amber as she reaches her future milestones and continues her personal and professional development.