During Mental Health Month, several residents of Batemans Bay’s Hope House share their stories of recovery and how the men’s shelter helped them find new direction and purpose in their lives.
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“James”
Born in Blacktown in April 1981, James grew up in Sydney’s West with his parents and older sister, leaving school after completing year 11 to take up a carpentry apprenticeship, which he completed successfully in 2001.
Following several years as a carpenter and a builder’s labourer, he spent a year as a deckhand on a commercial fishing trawler off the NSW South Coast – an occupation he enjoyed more than any other.
During these years, a daughter was born to James and his partner, however, his recreational use of marijuana led to the development of psychosis and ultimately the break-up of his relationship.
James relocated to Queensland where he sought to rebuild, but life was tough without the love of a partner and daughter and without any support from his own family. Expenses soon exceeded any income from casual employment.
James continued to use marijuana to escape his predicament – the sadness of his break-up thereby exacerbating his psychosis and ultimately leading to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.
His behaviour became more aggressive and after being charged with assault, he was admitted to Goulburn Correctional Centre Mental Health Facility.
Transferred to South Coast Correctional Centre in Nowra, he was released in May 2017 without parole, without any health plan and without any record of medical history. With no financial resources and estranged from his family, James was referred to Hope House upon his release as a homeless man.
James proved a model resident at Hope House. Never did he exhibit aggressive behaviour and always participated in voluntary community service and programs designed to rehabilitate homeless men suffering from mental health issues and/or addiction.
However, as the maximum period of six months’ accommodation drew to a close, James’ anxiety at exiting a safe and secure environment to face the world alone without family or friends became very apparent.
His personal health and hygiene deteriorated, his weight dropped alarmingly, he became withdrawn and his psychotic behaviour returned, causing him to be admitted to hospital in Bega in October 2017.
Following six weeks of treatment, James was returned to the familiar environs of Hope House where he continued supervised anti-psychotic medication. However, staff and fellow residents observed James to express paranoia and increasing nervous activity in the company of unfamiliar faces or surroundings.
His cognitive skills deteriorated, his personal health suffered and he again became withdrawn.
Finally, acting under threat of public revelation, his mental health manager adjusted James’ medication. In less than one week, a new person emerged; his voice was heard, he participated in group programs, he ate regular meals and shopped for himself.
Within three months James had qualified for a driving licence and purchased a car. He was back on the road in more ways than one.
Finally, in September, 2018, James secured independent accommodation on the South Coast, where he had always wanted to return to and waved goodbye to his friends at Hope House.
Despite his reintegration into the community, James is far from removed from Hope House. His case manager makes a weekly four-hour trip to ensure he is safe, medicated in accord with instructions, healthy and happy and he is attended daily by a community health worker.
From time to time, James visits Hope House to renew friendships.
The system failed James. Without the belief, commitment and support of Hope House, James would be a statistic; another one glibly described as having “fallen through the cracks”.
Now, he is returned to the community scarred but not beaten, working to get back on the deck of a trawler.