Levi's Story

I forgot that I had something to offer

Prior to Workwise’s support, I was just plodding along. My experience in mental health goes back many years now. I’ve been a client at a variety of mental health services, all over the place. And on my journey, I have had employment within mental health. But then I became an artist, because of mental health reasons, and gave up working for about 10 years. I ended up very heavily medicated, and basically gave up on the idea of working. I basically accepted being on the benefit as my lot, you know, and just be thankful.

I forgot that I had something to offer.

My motivation was – after 20-years on heavy medications – pretty much gone. That went with the ambition. And my physical ability started to wane, due to side effects from the medications… I’ve been through the whole realm of medications. They all kind of strip you of your motivation and humanity.

I had a negative self-image. And my concentration span was really small. My mood stability was up-and-down. So that’s the sort of situation I was in.

Prior to meeting up with Workwise, I’d never had a formal job interview. For nearly 50 years all my jobs that I’d had, came from word-of-mouth, friends and living in the central city. When I moved, all that network sort of vanished, so I just gave up. It was all a bit demoralising.

Meeting Workwise

The first time I engaged with my employment consultant I’d actually already gotten a job, but the job didn’t work out so I went back to my psychologist and he reintroduced me.

My first impressions of my employment consultant was: he was a nice enough guy, seemed onto it and familiar with my work path opportunities. He’d actually worked in mental health previously, so I sort of identified with him. He was kind of young. My son’s about his age. I felt listened to and respected, and goal setting became a thing, which I’d forgotten about.

My employment consultant and my occupational therapist started encouraging me to pursue work in the mental health field again. Since the initial onset of my mental health, I had experienced residential support. I was a teacher for clients. I’d also worked on a panel re-organising a mental health service.

Building new foundations

My employment consultant helped me build my CV, he helped me with interview tips, what to expect, and he helped me digitise my efforts of finding a job, which I found really helpful. He put me through a literacy course, doing digital skills, so I could keep up with entering stuff into computers, write reports, learn how to file things, all that sort of stuff.

I’ve had help with clothing for a job interview, and I’ve met one good friend out of the course that I went on and it’s pretty cool, because as a client often you don’t personalise yourself with a lot of other people.

Looking ahead

I’m a lot more optimistic about the future. I put a lot of effort in. I get up in the morning, and I want to get up.

I want to look at my SEEK, my emails, all those sorts of things, they fill up my day. Even having meetings once a week, or every fortnight, it helps gives me a focus, and I can project something into the future. I can make a plan.

I’m yet to have secured a job from it, but I’ve learnt how to interview, I’ve learned heaps. I’m also looking forward to the financial benefits. Living on the benefit is a struggle. It costs us money. It costs everyone money.

Thank you Workwise. And what you said about work being a health intervention? Word, yeah. It just gives you a purpose in life. Because on medication, it strips you of all of that, so I thank you.