Mr. and Mrs. P moved to Park City in 2007. They had vacationed here for many years with their family and once the kids were grown they decided to move here full time. Their oldest child is out in the work force and their youngest is in college. Not yet near ready for retirement, and still with college tuition to pay, they both secured employment before the move.

Things seemed to be going well and Mr. P thought he had weathered the economic downturn until about six months ago when he lost his job due to a decrease in business. Coincidently, Mrs. P had her hours decreased at her job as well. With little income, loss of affordable health insurance and significant financial obligation, the stress was getting the best of their relationship.

Mr. and Mrs. P turned to Jewish Family Service for couples counseling. They met with a licensed therapist at the JFS Park City office weekly and MR. P began to attend the Park City Career Network.

The Park City Career Network was initiated and has met on Monday mornings at 9 a.m. for the last three years. The Monday Morning schedule was created by design – getting individuals out of the house Monday morning and motivated to start the week. The group focus is networking with each other, learning important job search skills (interviewing, resume writing, creating a good cover letter, etc.) and coping with the emotional issues that arise (anxiety, depression, frustration, anger).

Also, along with couples counseling to help them cope with the emotional and financial stress, JFS provides safety net services and emergency financial assistance.

Presently, Mr. P is actively networking his way to a new position. He received assistance with his resume, learned about networking and interviewing and continues to receive support through the job search process. He has a series of interviews with one company and is hopeful that he will receive an offer very soon. Mrs. P continues to work part time and is doing some community volunteer work to expand her network. She has been informed that she will have more hours on the job come the New Year.

As a couple they are communicating better – sharing their feelings rather than holding them in. They work hard to support each other and to work together towards solutions and goals. While their finances are still tenuous and they struggle month to month - they are stronger as a couple and coping better.