OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - In 2018 Jason Laroche came to Heartland Family Service as a client experiencing homelessness.

“I was living in a group home at the time, I hadn’t worked in 10 years,” says Laroche. “I have slept on the streets of Council Bluffs. I used to camp around the cemeteries in the wooded areas.”

Jason is autistic and suffers from panic attacks, depression and PTSD, all making it difficult for him to keep a job as he explains.

“There’s this misconception that once you have panic attacks or some kind of other mental illness, they prescribe you medication, you get a therapist and everything works out and it’s just not true. You need more support than that,” says Laroche.

Walking into the Peer Center doors at Heartland Family Service, was the support he needed.

“I got a nutrit

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