Jose is a 42 year old man who had been in hospital for a period of 3 months following a serious motor vehicle accident. His sister Maria and her partner initially provided Jose with care after the accident, but now have told him they are wo
ied about his mood swings and ability to care for himself at home and think he is using too many painkillers. Jose used to have a successful career as a financial analyst, however he lost his job after the accident as he had no more sick leave and his employer did not agree to maintain his position within the company. He has no savings left and is without other sources of income at this point.
Francine is a 24 year old woman who lives with her two children (ages 5 & 8). She is a single parent. She recently left an abusive relationship after reports were made to the local child protection authorities about concerns for the safety of the children, as well as Francine. Francine lives on the outskirts of town in an area with limited transport. One of her children requires specialist glasses that Francine is unable to afford. Her fridge has
oken down, she is without fresh food and does not have a car after it was burnt by her ex-partner. Police were called to her property (a rental) last week in response to reports that a man was shouting and throwing outdoor furniture around. Last year Francine was diagnosed with Hepatitis C but hasn’t been back to the GP since she received the test results.
Kim and Aly are of refugee background. They live with their 3 children, and 4 other families in a three bedroom house. Kim speaks no English at all, and Aly speaks a basic level of English but has not been able to find employment. They have been told a condition of their visa states they are not able to access mainstream services or income support. They are wo
ied about the recent out
eak of violence in their home country and have been trying to contact Aly’s mother who remains over there. The nearest member of their cultural community is 260kms away.
Jonno is 15 and lived with his parents, younger siblings and aunt and cousin. He has recently been kicked out of home by his father, who has found drugs in his bedroom. Jonno has been couch surfing since then and was able to stay with a friend for 12 weeks, however his friend’s parents have told him he can only now stay for another 2 weeks. Jonno has only been attending school occasionally – usually to see his girlfriend Ami. He recently tried to talk to his parents, however they refuse to take his calls. Jonno has just been questioned by the police who are investigating a series of car thefts and
eak-ins in the area. Jonno has been feeling increasingly unable to manage his anger as everything seems to “set him off”.