Mental Health Awareness Week - Claire's Story

Claire, who is in her 20s, has a history of poor mental health, substance misuse and experienced sexual exploitation from a young age. She was experiencing homeless and despite having a hostel bed she often slept rough, which left her very vulnerable. Her experiences have led to a mistrust of professionals as she felt constantly let down. Claire’s substance abuse and addiction meant that she often overlooked and sacrificed her mental health treatment.  

After Claire’s most recent episode of being unwell, she was introduced to the Pathways team. This is a specialist team made up of psychologists, substance misuse experts and our homelessness engagement team. They work with people who have an addiction in a holistic, trauma-informed way.  The team worked relentlessly to get Claire a place in a mental health unit where she responded well to treatment. The team visited her several times a week while she was in treatment and built up a good rapport.
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Claire is now living in supported accommodation and we continue to work with her. We recently introduced her to the Life Rooms which offer a timetable of activities and educational courses. We accompanied Claire to help her find things she was interested in, with the aim that she will build up enough confidence over time to attend on her own and forge her own social network outside of services. This will help build her confidence and gain independence so that she is able to reach her own personal goals.