We have had the privilege to be supporting John (pseudonym) over the last 10 years. John’s story is remarkable, it is a story of hope, of being courageous, of being brave and a story of perseverance.

John is a 39-year-old pakeha male who entered LINC’s residential service in November 2013.  He has a diagnosis of ASD and schizophrenia. His relationship with his whānau was tense and his parents had trespassed him from the family home. He experienced constant derogatory auditory hallucinations and was often in a heightened state of anger as he was responding to these hallucinations.

LINC worked with the clinical team at Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty, and supported John to receive the psychology input he needed and to also review his medication for better symptom management. LINC offered support to John and his whānau and over time they started to rebuild their relationship with each other.  To provide John, his whānau and other whairoa with a similar diagnosis as John, with the best possible care, LINC funded a 2-day workshop for staff, whaiora, and whānau around hearing voices. John attended the training with his mother, and realised the voices he hears were those of people who bullied him at school. This training empowered John and provided him with tools he needed to control and/or eliminate these distressing voices.

John has engaged in a peer group for people who hear voices (whakarongo mai ra) and in time has become one of the group leaders. LINC supported John to enrol in a 2-year diploma in supported learning at Toi Ohomai. On leaving the enrolment interview he turned to the LINC kaimahi and said, “I’m going to be a student, this could change my life”. He went on to complete a certificate in horticulture. He made friends at Toi Ohomai and began visiting his parents in the weekends. LINC supported John to move into his own accommodation, owned by another whaiora in September 2014, and he is still living there.

Over the last 10 years John and LINC has worked together in supporting him to achieve his independence and reintegrate him back into the community. LINC continued to support John with some of his other goals. More recently John identified that he would like to get a full driver’s licence (he had a restricted but had not driven for some years) and to obtain work.

John has obtained his full driver’s licence this month, after driving lessons which he could afford because of Total Money Management and is now looking for a car so that he can travel to work. He also secured employment and is currently working in the Turning Point horticulture program.

John now has regular contact with his parents and sometimes even babysits his nieces and nephews.

John and his inspirational story is truly an amazing example of how someone who has a mental health diagnosis can, with the right support in place, over time create and live a meaningful life and contribute to their community.

In John’s own words “LINC has helped me in many ways, including finding employment and with social support. It is a great place to grow and learn about yourself.”