A 17 year old was brought into the service during the 2018 Christmas/New Year period by a friend’s parent. The friend’s parent had discovered that the client was homeless and using methamphetamine, and was seeking support.
On initial presentation, the worker observed that the client appeared fatigued and dishevelled. The client answered the worker’s questions and completed necessary assessments however appeared hesitant in accessing AOD support. The friend’s parent had agreed to accommodate this young person as long as they engaged in AOD counselling and attempted to give up methamphetamine use. The client completed a DUDIT screen returning a score of 34, indicating a heavy dependency to methamphetamine. A DASS-21 also indicated moderate depression and stress symptomology and extremely severe anxiety.
The worker engaged with the young person on and off over a 5 month period. It became apparent that the young person was isolated – their family had cut them off due to their drug use. The drug use also had meant that she was now in financial debt and wasn’t engaged in school. The client had struggled with mental illness on and off and had lost her mum at a young age.
The worker provided strengths-based counselling and insight into how their past trauma could be linked to their drug use. The worker also observed a shift in this young person’s motivation and a strong will to change their current situation.
As the client began to notice positive change, the worker observed them reach out to their family. Their family began to also support them through their treatment journey. The client even travelled to spend a few weeks with their eldest sibling throughout this time. The worker also observed that the client’s physical appearance and emotional well being also improved.
The client last reported using methamphetamine in early January 2019 and is currently 5 and a half months clean. The worker and client have completed a Relapse Prevention Plan to broaden the client’s toolbox for coping with future stressors.
The worker recently contacted the client as part of aftercare and these were two of their SMS responses, which we would like to share:
‘I’m really well Thank you. Working full time now & living in Ulverstone. Still haven’t used or had the desire to do so.’
‘I am very proud of myself, just bought a car too so everything is falling into place.’
This client story is a great example of how a client can reach their goals with the right therapeutic approaches and tailored case management. Upon exit, the client showed positive increments on the Outcome Star Assessment across all domains.
