LIFELINES: PACT helps Lee County family navigate serious mental illness
Northeast Mississippi Daily JournalDec 29, 2019
She and husband
The domestic scene defies the stereotypes of life with schizophrenia. A 38-year-old married mother of six,
She isn't disabled or homeless. She continues to make a home with her husband, Jeremy, and care for their children, ages 3 to 17. Her schizoaffective disorder -- schizophrenia combined with depression and/or bipolar disorder -- is controlled with medication, and she has been in remission for 19 months without hearing voices.
"I love my life. I love being a mom. I love working,"
Lifeline
The Lee County PACT program has been an essential lifeline for
"I thank my lucky stars,"
PACT, which stands for Program of Assertive Community Treatment, is a national, evidence-based model that provides comprehensive services to people recovering from serious mental illness. It has proven to be particularly helpful for those with multiple hospitalizations.
"PACT is not for everyone, but the people who are served through the program tend to be more independent and have lower rates of unemployment," said
For
"I love that my (family) has something like PACT to lean on if I become ill again,"
The Lee County PACT, overseen by Life Core, is one of 10 PACT programs funded through the
A number of the people in the program are in school or working. Others are reclaiming the basics of daily living and working through the trauma that comes with mental illness.
"Success isn't the same for everybody," Sistrunk said. "Although not everyone is where Nicole is, it is possible for people with mental illness to function more independently."
Serious, but treatable
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that can be disabling, but also can be successfully managed. It typically causes auditory and visual hallucinations. People with schizophrenia suffer from delusions -- beliefs that conflict with reality. Speech and behavior can become disorganized. With schizoaffective disorder comes the additional burden of either depression or bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia most commonly emerges in the late teens and early 20s for men and 20s and early 30s for women.
"A lot of what people know from movies is not accurate," Wiggins said. "We are more likely to hurt ourselves than other people."
"It was like somebody flipped a switch,"
The voices in her head, which were hallucinations, were overwhelming,
"It's like a best friend is telling you something," she said.
She was convinced she had been microchipped, that people were trying to hurt her children and that her husband was lying to her. Her mind chipped away at her insecurities.
"It's very scary,"
Over the next eight months,
"It didn't seem like her," said
Conversations wouldn't quit connect.
"I would say 'You need to go to the doctor,'"
Because of her delusions, she tried to drive to her parents' house, but became lost three hours away.
"We can laugh about certain things now,"
"He had a really hard time,"
"It was like a weight was lifted off me,"
Their church family helped with babysitting and meals during the time
Unlike many with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, Wiggins responded well to medications immediately. The voices and delusions receded. In April, she will celebrate two years in remission.
She applied to be part of the PACT program before leaving
"PACT has been a blessing for our family,"
With help from the PACT team,
"Even though I'm high functioning, I need PACT," Wiggins said. "I need to know they are there."
The PACT team helped her access training to become a certified nursing assistant at
Seven months ago, she began working as a direct support person for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has also worked as a nursing assistant at a nursing home.
"It is humbling, because I remember I, too, could have been very helpless if things had gone differently,"
Moving forward
In early September, U.S. District Judge
Even before the ruling,
In the 2014 fiscal year,
"The goal is to increase the number of people served by PACT by 25 percent each year," Bailey said.
The state also has developed an Intensive Community Outreach Recovery Team program that has fewer staffing requirements than the PACT program, but provides 24 hour access to care that people can receive in their own homes.
"We piloted the first one this year," Bailey said. "For the 2020 fiscal year, the plan is to get four programs up and running."
That doesn't mean there isn't a need for the state hospitals and inpatient care for mental illness, Bailey said.
"You need services available on a continuum of care," Bailey said.
As community services expand, it's important to understand that recovery from mental illness takes time and rarely moves in a straight line, Bailey said.
"Recovery is personal and different for every person," Bailey said.
With support, people with mental illness can and do become more independent.
"It's so amazing watching people bloom," Sistrunk said. "It's so rewarding."
"They deserved to be cared for the best way they possibly can,"
michaela.morris@journalinc.com
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