Orleans Parish Drug Court referred Jason* to the Financial Access & Inclusion Resources (FAIR) Program. Jason is in his 40s, and diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and a substance use disorder. He was referred when he accepted a job offer, earning approximately $2,000 per month. Upon intake with FAIR, he was ready to quit his job because he was told by others that working would cause him to lose his disability benefits and, as a result the insurance he needs to cover his mental health medication.
His FAIR case manager explained in detail how work would impact his Social Security Disability benefits and that his Medicare would remain in place for at least 7 years. As a result, he stayed in his job and enrolled in his employer health insurance plan, with supplemented coverage by his Medicare. In the months after this, he saved enough to pay off his $1,105 in drug court fees and graduated from the drug court program. After meeting this goal, his case manager helped him pull and review his credit report, and establish a credit card debt plan. He used his stimulus check to pay off his remaining credit card debt and his credit score has increased by 80 points. Most recently, his case manager helped him understand his eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and he filed taxes. He plans to use his tax return to jumpstart his savings for a car, now that he is debt-free.
*name changed to protect confidentiality
