When the TAY ROC team first connected with ��ಹ������,” he was experiencing the “worst time of his life.” He was homeless, hopeless, and in crisis. His relationships with family and other loved ones were shattered, and he was mourning the deaths of several family members. It was “troubled times,” and he needed help. He says, “I have never been in that kind of situation before. That kind of mental health breakdown was completely new to me. I was falling through the cracks in the system, and there is no clear path to get yourself out of complex situations like that. Now that I am doing better, I feel a lot of empathy for other people who are still going through times like those.”

After a brief stay at John George Psychiatric Hospital, David was connected to TAY ROC. David credits the TAY ROC team with turning his life around. “I was homeless, and I am autistic, and this team saved me. They got me a job, they found me housing, they provided the best therapy I’ve had in years, and went over and above in every respect to ensure I was successful. They spent hours on the phone with me when I was panicking. They made sure I had food. They drove me to appointments in their own cars. They gave me expert-level job coaching. They met me wherever I needed them to be, no matter what. I have never had mental health support like that.”

David says he is now on the road to recovery, thanks to TAY ROC. “I want to express to you all what an amazing job TAY ROC is doing. I want to especially call out Shanina Hill, Brittany Flentroy, Philip Yee, Jennifer Pardo, and everyone on the team that I worked with. Shanina Hill deserves a raise and a promotion. I want to tell everyone about TAY ROC. If there were more programs like this in Alameda County, a real difference could be made in so many people’s lives. I am contacting Governor Newsom to make sure people at the highest level hear about your program.”

We are thrilled that David is back on his feet, hopeful, and looking towards the future. This is a shining example of why programs like TAY ROC are essential to the care system.