Case studies

Lesli (born in 1989) is a young woman who was able to transition successfully to independence after two years of HCN funding and support. She grew up in an unstable home, and was unable to live with her mother, their relationship being strained and argumentative. Many of Lesli’s subsequent living arrangements and school placements broke down, and Lesli became increasingly angry and volatile with the agencies working with her.

Lesli had had a number of educational and psychological assessments, and special education interventions. She had been diagnosed with low IQ, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder. She was also associating with high-risk friends, used drugs (particularly cannabis) and already had one minor conviction. 

An Interagency Plan with HCN funding was developed for Lesli, focusing on community-based Dialectical behavioural therapy, which included:

• supervision and coaching with Lesli’s support workers
• a strengths-finder test
• ongoing counselling with a focus on reciprocal relationships, harm-reduction, and observing/learning from her behaviour
• initial cognitive and intelligence tests
• compensating skills for Lesli and her support workers.

Initially, Lesli was only able to focus for 15-20 minutes of each therapy session; at the end of her Interagency Plan, she was able to focus for 45 minutes, was attending counselling sessions on a more regular basis, and had significantly reduced her cannabis use of her own accord, particularly before the sessions. Lesli said she got a lot out of the strengths-finder test, and that counselling “helped me understand my past better…accept how things are…helped me with my anger…I learnt, don’t take it out on mum…learnt to say what my emotions are.”

Therapy taught Lesli to recognise and label feelings, which has enabled her to navigate emotionally stressful situations on her own. Although she still struggles with anxiety and distress, Lesli has now gained a significant measure of independence. Her support worker noted that Lesli had gone from needing 1:1 support to go to the bank, arrange and attend doctor appointments, etc. to doing things on her own, like figuring out bus timetables, making her appointments on time, budgeting, and arranging for laybuys for purchases like a new bike or clothes. This has resulted in a huge increase in life-skills, and Lesli is enjoying her new independence. “Having people I can get along with [who] helped me out with the day to day stuff was really helpful.”

Lesli has lived in a stable boarding situation for the past 16 months, after an attempt at flatting failed. Her support worker noted that Lesli has “gone from someone who couldn’t be alone, who lived off one meal [a day] to an amazing adult.”

Lesli’s relationship with her mother and her extended family has improved, and she has regular visits with them, although her relationship with her mother’s husband is still strained, and developing friendships is still a challenge for Lesli. A planned and managed transition from private to public providers for ongoing therapy is helping her to continue to deal with managing interpersonal relationships, but so far Lesli has continued to stay out of trouble and is avoiding high-risk situations.

Lesli’s interagency team credits her success to Lesli, and to the strong interagency collaboration that supported the implementation of the plan and the transition to local support services. Services were well-matched to Lesli’s needs, funding was available for the length of time/intensity needed, and she was able to be involved in her plan. “When plans were due to be made, I felt it was a great help that [my Services Coordinator] would make contact with me and make me feel like I was part of the plan and no decision was made without me. I want to thank everyone for their support and effort.”

Lesli’s social worker commented: “I believe the Interagency Plan and package provided Lesli with the opportunity to not remain labelled as ‘difficult’. It empowered [her] to more safely take control of her life and start moving beyond her experience of trauma and loss. I was impressed with the young woman who could communicate her feelings appropriately and look positively toward the future – an attitude and confidence built as part of this Interagency Plan.”