Peter Badenhausen

Peter has been clean and sober for eight years. Although not diagnosed at the time, as a senior in high school Peter started developing symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder. Schizoaffective Disorder is a serious mental illness that has features of two different conditions, schizophrenia and an affective (mood) disorder, either major depression or bipolar disorder. While living two years in the New Jersey State Mental Hospital, Peter was introduced to two organizations called Collaborative Support Programs (CSP-NJ) and Community Enterprises Corporation (CEC) helping him to stay out of the hospital for the past eleven years. His support worker, Lois Miller firmly believes that Peter can live and work in the community and not be forced to live in a hospital for the rest of his life.

Community Enterprises Corp. provides an array of services including property management, housing and economic development. Collaborating with community-based organizations, social services agencies, government agencies, private institutions and property owners is how they deliver services. One of their collaborating agencies is CSP-NJ, which is directed, managed and staffed through the collaborative efforts of mental health consumers, survivors and non-consumers. In fact, CSP-NJ hires Peter to lead the cleaning crew to take care of their own offices and to facilitate in a self-help center where he is past president. CSP-NJ strives to provide individualized, flexible community based services that promote responsibility, recovery and wellness. This is done through the creation and administration of self-help centers, supportive housing, advocacy, and entrepreneurial programs for adults with mental health issues and other special needs.

CSP-NJ has developed two versions of their Individual Development Accounts program- both of which, Peter has been a beneficiary. The first step for Peter was to start small in the short-term IDA. Starting in February 2001 and throughout that year, Peter saved money for a bicycle. Then, after building up some confidence in his ability to save, Peter started on the path to homeownership.

With the combined support of CSP-NJ, his mom, and his own earning, Peter has saved $23,000 since the spring of 2002. He has completed the 10 hours of financial literacy classes and has only to complete the asset specific training before finishing the program. He is currently shopping for the best mortgages and has plans to buy his own condominium soon. He will apply his Section 8 voucher towards his mortgage through the HUD Homeownership Voucher program.

Peter believes that CSP-NJ/CEC programs have given him direction and a sense of purpose to his life. He is grateful that people like Lois Miller and Zoraida Reyes, CEC Financial Services coordinator, have given him the opportunity to believe in himself again. He knows that for people that have been down his similar path, owning your own home and living a productive life in the community can seem beyond reach. Yet, with support from committed, caring professionals that have helped Peter re-establish his connection with society; no dream is out of reach.