While on the streets she had a break down and was transported to Del Amo Hospital. But at the hospital she resisted help because she did not feel she was treated well by the peer advocate or the judge who put her in the hospital. Eventually Ms. Havens connected with a nurse who listened to her and helped her understand her medications and gain sufficient stability to move to Excelsior House and then to transitional housing operated by Portals Mental Health. In April 1998, Ms. Havens was offered an apartment at Gower Street Apartments where she has been ever since.

In the beginning, Ms. Havens had difficult believing that she wouldn’t be put back out on the streets again. It took almost two years for her to feel safe and secure that she would not be asked to leave.

Since moving into permanent supportive housing, Ms. Havens has accomplished much. She is an exemplary tenant and volunteers extensively. She is active in Gower Apartment’s volunteer program, called AIM. She volunteered at a nearby church staffing the library two days a week. After training for two months, she became a peer advocate at Long Beach Mental Health Program where she had her own case load and worked with clients in Long Beach. Ms. Havens also volunteers with ACOF staff at most events where there is an ACOF Team, such as HomeWalk and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s (LAHSA) bi-annual Homeless Count. Her favorite volunteer assignment so far is LAHSA. As a result of her reliability, LAHSA recently sought Ms. Havens out as a regular volunteer in their office.

For fun, Ms. Havens resumed playing the French horn which she began many years ago. Before injuring both feet recently, Ms. Havens played in two bands in Santa Monica, including the Santa Monica Emeritus College Concert Band.