Page 15 - Success Story Newsletter_Winter 2018

Date: Tuesday, January 23,2018
Location: NEPTUNE, NJ
Circulation (DMA): 119,695 (1)
Type (Frequency): Newspaper (D)
Page: A3,A4
Section: Main
Keyword: Easterseals New Jersey

next fix of cocaine or alcohol. He racked facility. In the past, Keating said he
up a long list of charges, including drug constantly worried he wasn’t working
possession and burglary, according to fast enough,
the criminal court database. At night, he Dealing with that anxiety has be­
slept in abandoned houses, grappling come easier, Keating said, and he
with drug dreams and hallucinations. plans to start a new job soon as a tutor.
Today, he’s in a 12­step program for Robert Pirerra, 41, originally from
addiction recovery and meets with a Robinsville, was in and out of psychi­
mental health counselor. He attends atric hospitals for nearly 20 years be­
church and volunteers at a soup kitch­ fore joining Easterseals in 2013. Pirerra
en. His latest project, he said, is learn­ has undergone treatment for depres­
ing how to read and write. sion as well as obsessive compulsive
“When I first came to Easterseals. disorder and impulse control.
the only thing I knew how to do is sign He said he has made the greatest
my name,” he said. “Now with my tu­ improvement at this group home,
tor, I’m at a first­grade reading level.” learning to manage his emotions, do
Patterson shares the townhouse chores and take his medication regu­
with three other men, each of whom larly.
has undergone a transformation un­ “They teach you responsibilities.
beknownst to their neighbors. One is They help you with your self­esteem,
Ted Keating, a 28­year­old Matawan confidence building,” he said. “If you
native who has social anxiety. ever have a problem, they could always
Keating was in and out of hospitals talk to you.”
while he attended community college. Pirerra, Keating and Patterson all
He obtained an associate’s degree in strive toward the same goal: living on
psychology from Brookdale Communi­ their own. (Another resident of the
ty College but found himself grappling group home declined to be inter­
with his anxiety. At his worse, he said, viewed.)
he thought the TV was talking to him. “Easterseals taught me to be re­
After Keating entered Easterseals, sponsible . . . you have to learn to
he started reading self­help books and shower, clean up, do your chores, stuff
meditating. like that,” Patterson said. “I think I’ve
“I get that compulsive thinking, but been doing that pretty good.”
I had to realize I’m not the compulsive He said he hopes someone to live on
thinking,” Keating said. his own.
Managing those feelings came in Steph Solis: @stephmsolis; 732-
handy at work, Keating said. He works 403-0074; ssolis@gannett.com.
as a dishwasher at an assisted living

Page 2 of 3

©2018 USA Today
All Rights Reserved.
Account: 27522 (179)
NIJ-298
LIVE · LEARN · WORK · PLAY For reprints or rights, please contact the publisher Easterseals New Jersey Success Story Newsletter 2018 15