What Support For Complex Mental Health, Capacity Building And Financial Safety Can Look Like
How One Young Woman Took Her Power Back
When this young woman first came to Jess, things weren’t what they seemed. She was brought in by an independent support worker who said she just needed help with her plan.
But the story didn’t add up. Over time, Jess learned the truth: this participant had been taken advantage of. She had an attachment disorder and was looking for connection.
That same worker made false promises, crossed boundaries, and drained her NDIS funding.
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“She was traumatised,” Jess said. “And I wasn’t sure if I could take her on. Not because I didn’t want to, but because we came from the same cultural background.
I didn’t want her to see me as a replacement and get hurt all over again.”
So Jess stepped back. The participant went to another provider. But a few months later, the support coordinator came back and said, “We’re really struggling. She’s falling behind.
We need someone who can build her capacity and help her move forward.”
Helping Her Say No And Mean It
This wasn’t about adding services. It was about rebuilding trust and helping her learn to say no when it mattered.
“She was used to saying yes to everything,” Jess explained. “Anyone could promise her anything, and she’d go along with it.”
So Jess focused on boundaries. On giving her the confidence to pause, to question, to think for herself. “Now, we’re helping her understand when it’s the right time to say yes, and when to walk away,” she said.
And slowly, it’s working.
From Financial Struggles To Smarter Budgeting
One of her biggest challenges was money. She was constantly out of pocket. Her funding was always stretched thin. So they started with basics: budgeting, tracking expenses, setting limits.
“She never had anyone teach her how to manage her money,” Jess said. “So that’s what we’re doing now, week by week.”
Alongside budgeting came emotional support. Jess brought in a psychologist to help her work through the trauma and confusion left behind by the earlier experience.
Building The Support She Deserved All Along
They worked through life skills together. Joined support groups. Rebuilt her capacity to make good decisions.
And eventually, she was able to be appointed a public guardian, someone to look after her rights and help her live safely and independently.
“She’s doing better now,” Jess said. “She wants to move into her own place. And she’s finally got people around her who treat her with respect.”