Lisa is an Aboriginal woman who was 37 weeks pregnant with her fifth child when she first contacted Guthrie House. Her four other children had been placed into out of home care three months prior and she was fearful that the same would happen to her newborn.
Lisa admitted to needing help with issues around substance abuse and also needed support around extensive domestic violence she had experienced over the years. The Family Support worker arranged a face to face comprehensive assessment and Lisa was offered a place in the program.
Lisa initially struggled with following the program as she was not used to living with a routine; however, with support she quickly adapted and learned new skills in managing her time which helped when her baby arrived. Lisa was given a lot of support by her FaCS case worker and was allowed to bring baby back to Guthrie House from the hospital.
Lisa still had many obstacles to cross but with support from her case manager and the Aboriginal Support worker, she began kicking goals and demonstrated good parenting skills. The Family Support worker advocated for a housing transfer so that Lisa could be closer to family and away from the violence she had experienced; and Lisa was granted a new property prior to completing the Guthrie program.
With the appropriate referral, Lisa transitioned to a longer-term residential rehab with her baby to continue addressing issues of addiction. Lisa has since graduated from the other rehab and is successfully living in the community with her young toddler. Lisa has made significant life changes and continues to make progress with the support of her family and Community Services.