Nina Jones has been at Bacon Street for nearly 3 years. In fact, if you’ve called Bacon Street in the past couple of years, there’s a good chance that you’ve spoken with her. In this time, she has moved from working as an Administrative Assistant to working as a Client Services Manager and the project lead for the Home First Williamsburg and Footprints Youth Collaborative Housing Program. Last month, she was promoted to Director of Operations, and now works hard every day to keep things running smoothly at Bacon Street. As a military wife, Nina and her family have lived everywhere from California to Alaska to Maine, and we are so happy that she has now landed here.
What brought you to Bacon Street and what keeps you here?
Bacon Street is an agency that cares for all people. I am a person that has a heart for people also. My coworkers make it easy to get up and come to work. We support each other and are passionate about restoring mental health and sobriety.
Can you tell me more about the Home First Williamsburg and Footprints Youth Collaborative Housing Program and the work you did with it? What are you most proud of with this program?
The Home First Williamsburg program is a partnership between the City of Williamsburg Department of Human Services, 3e Restoration, Inc., and Bacon Street Youth & Family Services. The goal of this program is to address the social, emotional, physical and cognitive needs of a participating family, and to assist in removing barriers toward sustainable permanent housing. Home First is a time-limited, trauma-responsive program. The amount of housing assistance and other resources are based upon the program participant’s needs and goals. The Footprints program, which is very similar to Home First, has an age restriction for 17-24 year old people that have been displaced in some capacity.
The excitement for me with the youth is watching them gain life skills–from budgeting, to getting a license for the first time, to scheduling their first doctor appointment on their own. Some of the youth are now graduating high school and moving on to college. BIG WIN. Completion of any task, really, is a WIN for them. The focus on mental health is encouraged greatly as it helps them develop language that promotes adulting skills.
What I enjoyed most about the Home First program was when the lightbulb would go off within the participating neighbor about finances, and recognition when they decide that therapy may be beneficial to them and follow through with appointments. When the neighbors are able to check off a goal they set for themselves.
You’ve also been certified as a Peer Recovery Specialist. What is this and what led you to get that certification?
To become a Peer Recovery Specialist, you must have direct lived experience as a person with mental illness and/or substance use disorder, or as a family member supporting someone with these challenges. You must also be in recovery to be an Adult or Youth Peer Supporter. I was able to put this certification to use working with the Home First Program, in order to provide non-judgmental support to the neighbors I was working with when they needed it. I grew up with a family that battled substance use and mental illness. This is what gave me the heart for people. ALL People.