- Chris began his journey with APM in 2020, wanting to turn his life around and provide more stable environment for his daughter
- The support he received for his physical and mental health from the Disability Employment Services program helped turn his life around
Chris has found a supportive new career.
When Chris began his journey with APM Employment Services, he was experiencing some significant personal challenges including homelessness, the loss of his licence, ongoing legal and child custody issues, along with physical and mental health conditions.
Chris was unsure of his vocational goals due to a back condition that meant he could no longer be an arborist.
At the time, Chris’s employment options were extremely limited as he was staying in temporary accommodation where there were minimal public transport services.
Despite this, Chris was willing to relocate if needed and identified a role in Murray Bridge with EC Steve Crichton’s help. This position fell through for reasons beyond Chris’s control, however, Steve admired Chris’s genuine attempts to give anything a go.
In early 2021, Steve reached out to one of his local employers, Ben from Pridham Viticulture, located in South Australia’s scenic McLaren Vale region. Pridham generally require staff to have their own car and licence.
Even considering this, Steve was able to negotiate a work trial for Chris to prove that he could reliably get to the workplace with taxi and Uber assistance provided by APM.
After only a couple of days, the employer had no hesitations in offering Chris an ongoing role and even put him in charge of a small team to do the bird netting.
Although Chris had found employment the seasonal work left him with unpredictable hours. He needed to find more stable, long-term place to live which could accommodate his pup and could have his daughter visit.
Chris’s mental health was affected, and he felt he was back where he started.
APM negotiated additional hours with Pridham’s to relieve Chris’s financial worries and helped him engage with mental health support services.
APM also provided further Uber vouchers, so Chris could get to and from work easily, along with appropriate PPE and work-related clothing and covered the cost of completing his Forklift License. They also made sure he had credit to ensure he was reachable on his mobile phone.
Today Chris has shown his resilience and strength after a transformative twelve months.
He has continued to work but now spends his free time working on motorbikes in his permanent pet friendly home with his daughter regularly visiting.
Chris is on track to get his licence back and is working towards a full-time employment contract.
Injury, illness or disability and want to work?
You could be eligible for help in finding a suitable job from APM Employment Services.
As Australia’s largest provider of the Disability Employment Services program we help thousands of people with permanent or temporary disabilities, injuries, mental health conditions and other diagnosed barriers which may prevent them finding successful employment.
If you want to find out more, register with us today, or call our team on 1800 276 276 for more information.
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Looking for staff?
We don’t just support job seekers, we also help thousands of employers find reliable staff and access government incentives when hiring new employees.
If you’re an employer, you could access wage subsidies, plus funds for training and workplace modifications when hiring a person with disability for full or part-time work.
Plus, you will be enhancing the diversity of your business while making a real positive difference in a person’s life.
Find out more about this rewarding opportunity for employers by speaking to your nearest APM Employment Services team, or emailing support@apm.net.au.