From ‘Volatile’ to Victorious: MIGNON’S STORY
If there were ever a story about hope, determination and change, it’s about a woman named Mignon. Pregnant, homeless and addicted to drugs, Mignon had three huge challenges to deal with. Most people would have counted her out. But they didn’t know what she was capable of.
Neither did she.
“I was miserable. I thought at one point that I couldn’t be helped.”
The staff at Brandywine Counseling & Community Services (BCCS) thought differently. And with their help, Mignon turned her life around.
From Volatile to Victorious
In 2016, Mignon was a single mom to four kids. She was using drugs when she gave birth to a baby girl who died soon after. Then, Mignon’s grandmother died. After those two heartbreaking losses, Mignon’s depression eventually led to her use of heroin. She lost her house and then her kids when the State of Delaware (Division of Family Services) put them in foster care.
At one of her hearings, a judge said something to her that rocked her to her core: “If you don’t do something, you won’t see your kids again.”
Those words would change Mignon’s mindset and her life.
She knew she needed help, but didn’t know what it looked like or how it would happen — until she walked into the BCCS drop-in center on Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington. The caseworkers at BCCS initially felt they might not be able to help Mignon. “I wasn’t listening to nobody. I was too deep into my drug addiction.”
Channeling Anger into Positive Action
One day at BCCS, Mignon was introduced to Kerry Sheldon and Rosario Hernandez: She had met her matches when it came to persistence and determination.
“Mignon was very lively,” said Sheldon, peer support specialist and case manager. “But I am loud and lively too, so I knew I could get through to her. I told her to take that anger and channel it and prove the State wrong in order to get her kids back.”
While Sheldon was ‘loud and lively,’ Hernandez, perinatal case manager, was more calm and had a softer approach. It was the combination of the two that worked for Mignon. “They were both so positive and supportive with me. I managed to do what they asked me to do and keep going. When I was falling off, they would call me and keep me on track.”
Perinatal Program and Methadone Treatment
Mignon was expecting another baby when she enrolled herself in the BCCS perinatal program. She was put on a treatment of Methadone, a medication used to treat Opioid Use Disorder.
“Ever since then, I have not touched heroin and I am no longer using drugs,” said Mignon.
In addition to her methadone treatment, Mignon needed help finding housing and a job. Sheldon was able to enroll her in a housing program offered by the Delaware State Housing Authority and that’s when things started looking up for Mignon.
Sheldon explained, “I know what it’s like to try and stay clean and sober if you don’t have housing.” That was just the ‘no shame, no judgment’ mentality Mignon needed.
While Sheldon was making arrangements for housing, Hernandez kept Mignon on track for all of her prenatal appointments and mental health check-ins, calling her, texting her, making sure she was doing what she had to do.
It worked. “After two months, she had a laser focus,” said Hernandez. “She was telling me her plans to get a job – and even help others by pursuing her peer certification training.”
“They Saved My Life”
Today, Mignon has five children, ranging in age from 1 to 18. She works for a parcel service near Philadelphia, has a four-bedroom home in Wilmington and plans to open a daycare center. She says she couldn’t have done it without her faith — and Brandywine Counseling.
“Kerry and Rosario were so supportive and positive, and I kept getting better and better. They saved my life. They knew I had something better in me.”
“She is an entirely different person now,” said Sheldon. “She’s amazing.”
Mignon wants to ‘pay it forward’ by taking classes to become a Certified Peer Specialist. “I want others to know when you don’t have hope, Brandywine Counseling will give you hope.”
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Perinatal program
The BCCS Perinatal Program provides pregnant and parenting women specialized case management as an extension to behavioral health services. Counselors, case managers, and medical professionals use a strength-based model to help prepare parents for healthy deliveries and successful parenting. Clients are also linked to a range of services and healthcare facilities.
Counseling during COVID-19
BCCS offices and programs are open and running during COVID-19. While transportation and services are offered, COVID screenings are conducted to ensure safety is a priority for clients and staff.