TWO-years-ago, Sari Anderson didn’t want to continue living. After living with a number of mental illnesses for most of her life and going through a dark period, Sari didn’t know how to stop sinking further into depression.
When she connected with STEPS Mental Health Advisor Liza, through the Sunshine Coast based LinkIn program, things began to take a different track for Sari.
Liza began working with Sari to create a pathway to employment. After working with Sari and helping her through a number of personal issues, Liza found Sari work last year as a cleaner for a local office block. “Liza has been amazing,” Sari said. “I remember when she called me to tell me she had found the cleaning job. I was not sure I could do it. But she was great and so supportive. “She even took me to work at 6 am on my first day and stayed with me while I worked to check I was ok. She stayed with me as long as I needed and until I was confident I could do it,” Sari said.
“STEPS have been great support. They gave me a real purpose and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. They really gave me a chance to re-enter the real world.”
STEPS has provided Sari and others with appropriate support through a partnership and program with Mental Health Service, Southern Cluster, Sunshine Coast Wide Bay Health Services District, which came into effect in February 2009. Mental Health Service, Southern Cluster, Sunshine Coast Wide Bay Health Services District’s occupational therapist, Elise Hampton, said the integration of the employment consultant with the support team had proven very successful. “Sourcing employment has proven to be a very powerful and successful treatment for people with mental illnesses,””Elise said. “We have seen many case studies of people who are really going forward thanks to this program.
