Joe is a person we support at Rivers, our intensive specialist support service in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. Since he joined us in 2017, Joe has blossomed into an independent, confident individual who loves to help his local community.

In his younger years, he navigated life after an unforeseen injury. And as a vulnerable teenager, he quickly slipped down a slope of poor mental health. Joe became reliant on unhealthy habits to make himself feel better. Unknowingly, he was causing himself deeper emotional harm.

Travelling down a scary path of rehabilitation, Rivers was Joe’s final destination and last chance to reclaim his life.  Now, in his forties, he’s established a newfound passion for giving back to his local community. With our support, he’s been empowered to find his life’s purpose and set goals for the future that he never thought he’d have.

The power of peer pressure

Joe’s journey to needing our specialist mental health support started long ago. When he was 15 years old, he fell out of a tree and ended up in hospital, sustaining an injury that would impact him long term. This caused Joe tremendous pain. Turning to painkillers, he self-medicated. Often exceeding his recommended dose, he became reliant on them.

Needing increasing amounts to feel better emotionally, eventually, they stopped numbing the pain. That’s when Joe began mixing medication with alcohol, in a desperate attempt to suppress these feelings. Paired with surrounding himself with negative influences and people with unhealthy habits, Joe fell into some damaging behaviours.  

As the years slipped by, Joe became emotionally vulnerable as he navigated the pain suffered from his accident. He began drinking alcohol heavily, which eventually led to him misusing drugs. Giving into peer pressure, he was encouraged by friends to participate in these behaviours. During this time, Joe found himself at the start of a new journey, with a dark, winding path to follow. The course of his life changed forever.  

A tipping point…

Struggling with his mental health and continuing to misuse alcohol and drugs, Joe reached a turning point on his journey. When he was about 30 years old, he was sectioned. While in hospital, he received a diagnosis of Schizophrenia and drug psychosis.

The effects of Joe’s heavy alcohol abuse and drug misuse had altered the chemistry in his brain and deeply impacted his mental health. Along with these conditions, his use of alcohol and drugs also caused liver damage.  

At the time, Joe didn’t see an issue with his behaviour and protested being placed into a residential support setting. But Joe needed specialist support to overcome the deep-rooted traumas that were influencing his choices.

When he did eventually move into a home, his behaviours deteriorated further. Frustrated and unable to identify with his diagnoses, he moved around various care settings. Finally, his family decided he needed to move to an environment that would prioritise his mental health. They approached Voyage Care and quickly discovered that Rivers was the best place for him.

They understood how critical it was for Joe’s wellbeing to be surrounded by an expert team, receiving the right support for his complex needs. They knew Joe had a big heart and passions he wanted to pursue but he needed specialist support to turn his dreams into a reality.

Finding the right support

Moving into Rivers, Joe sensed something was different. The environment was homely, and he felt an instant connection with his new support team.

Settling into his new home right away, Joe began receiving support for his daily routine and moving forward with his life. But, most importantly, Joe’s new team supported him to understand his needs and accept that he needed support.

Specialists in mental health and behavioural support, our team at Rivers provided Joe with a safe space to talk about his feelings and thoughts. They encouraged him to openly express himself and find activities to benefit his mental health.

By simply talking to him and getting to know him as a person, Joe’s team led him through a period of self-discovery. Joe uncovered a love for fishing. A quiet activity, fishing supported him to find peace, being surrounded by the magical calming effects of water and nature. He also discovered he loves to cook and clean – and any activity where he’s being productive!

Our expert team at Rivers gave Joe a place to feel safe and taught him it is okay not to be okay.

When Joe first moved into Rivers, he didn’t have much independence. Due to his behaviours and mental health, he needed support to access the community, often needing company to keep his mind occupied.

Our team took time to get to know Joe and his needs, carefully creating a person-centred care plan, empowering Joe to take back control of his life. With the right support, Joe has successfully embraced his independence. Now, he often ventures out into the community alone, regularly letting the team know he’s okay with a quick phone call.

At first, this made Joe feel anxious, and he would often bury his head in his phone to hide these feelings. Gradually, his confidence increased, and he now loves to get out of the house and keep himself occupied!

Rebuilding relationships

Not only have the team at Rivers supported Joe’s emotional wellbeing and independence, but they’ve also encouraged him to rebuild family relationships that were tested when he was unwell.

During the time that Joe was drinking heavily and misusing drugs, his family connections strained. He was even kicked out of home a few times. When he was sectioned in hospital, his mum visited him often. However, he was unable to see his children due to his deteriorating mental health. This deeply wounded Joe. Although he understood why he couldn’t see them, his children are his world, and he didn’t want to be apart from them.

After moving into Rivers, Joe started rebuilding these important relationships. Over time, he and his children have got to know each other again. Now, with his newfound independence, he can visit his children whenever he wants to. He’s embraced his dad era and loves to spend time with his family!

Volunteering opportunities

As well as regaining his independence, Joe has also been supported to volunteer in his local community! He expressed his gratitude to the team for helping him turn his life around and loves the feeling of giving back to others. It also keeps him busy, which is great for maintaining positive mental health.

Empowered with self-esteem and running with his independence, Joe set out to find a volunteering opportunity. His first volunteering role was secured at the local hospital where he oversees a refreshment trolley. Filled with fruit, snacks, cold drinks, and toiletries, he pushes this around the wards. Visiting each patient, he puts a big smile on everyone’s face! Joe’s favourite thing about volunteering at the hospital is making connections with people and seeing his regulars. Having a weekly catch up with them, finding friends in unusual places has given Joe faith in others again.  Empathising with the patients, Joe takes pride in brightening up the difficult experience of being in hospital.

This role was his support team’s idea, and they were instrumental in setting it up for him. Without his amazing team, Joe would never have found his purpose in helping other people.

Always wanting to express his gratitude by giving back, Joe wasn’t satisfied with just one volunteering opportunity! Seeking out more avenues to help others, he secured a second volunteering role at the local church. Growing up in a church-led village, Joe regularly attended church services from an early age. A man of faith, he’s rekindled his love of the church community and loves to spend time surrounded by other kind-hearted souls.

At the church, Joe helps in the food hub, serving those who cannot afford to eat. He also helps with any events the church does, often as an extra pair of hands for anything they need. He has previously supported on an Easter event and a fun pirate themed day, where he helped with quizzes and quirky games!

Joe finds peace at church as he feels a profound sense of belonging. Through the volunteering opportunities his support team helped him source, Joe’s fallen in with the right crowd and found his very own supportive squad!

A quality guy

Joe has come a long way since he moved into Rivers, but he isn’t stopping there! He’s got lots of goals he wants to reach in the future, starting with giving back to Voyage Care!

At the beginning of the year, Joe became a Quality Checker, visiting other services to make sure everything is safe for the people we support. He hopes to continue in this role, visiting more homes and contributing to improving the lives of others. We value Joe’s observations and opinions and always ensure we meet his lofty standards!

Joe also hopes to further improve his health and fitness, with plans to join his local gym and start playing badminton. He also would like to stop smoking, so that he is completely free from any unhealthy habits!

But Joe’s final goal is to learn how to drive, get a car, and eventually move out with one of his housemates from Rivers. Like an extended family, his housemates and support team mean the world to him. When it’s time for him to move on, he’d love nothing more than to continue to be surrounded by the people who helped him change his life.

Find out more about our specialist support

To find out more about our specialist learning disabilities support and how we can help you, a client, or a loved one, fill out our quick form and a member of our friendly team will be in touch.

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