Building concrete pathways to permanent independence

Housing & career stability | Cazzy, age 19

Before arriving at Maryhurst, Cazzy lived in a state of constant survival, frequently not knowing where she would safely sleep on any given night. She endured a profoundly unstable and difficult home life before cycling through numerous foster placements and residential programs. As a common byproduct of the trauma and abuse she had survived, Cazzy arrived at our campus exhausted, combative, and highly doubtful that any program would stick with her over the long term.

Treatment plan

Over time, Cazzy settled into our campus dorms and began building steady relationships with our direct care staff. Despite residual challenges from her trauma—including physical outbursts and manic episodes—she began working intensely on her personal goals of academic success and eventual independence. Following her graduation, Cazzy chose to relocate to Fayette County to live on her own. Through the Maryhurst Aftercare program, our team stayed actively engaged in her life, directly coaching her through her job search and reinforcing the practical life skills required to maintain a household.

Outcome

About a month after transitioning from our campus care, Cazzy successfully started her very first job at a Dairy Queen in Lexington. The job is located just a short distance from her apartment—marking the first stable living space she has ever had entirely to herself. We remain incredibly proud of how far Cazzy has come on her journey to independent adulthood.