Cristian's first steps

As part of a team with more than 20 years’ experience of helping people maintain employment, Rita knew Cristian could find suitable work.

Rita wasted no time giving Cristian clear information about how APM's Disability Employment Services program could help him.

But as well as explaining the program’s details, Rita spent time listening to Cristian to really understand his circumstances and the challenges he faced.

Rita learned Cristian would often lock himself away from the rest of the world for days at a time in his parents' shed and self-medicate his illness, rather than seek help from others.

Cristian also had a son, who was living with his parents, and he desperately wanted to provide more for him.

This open and compassionate conversation became the spark that would drive Cristian to change his life for the better.

Rita was able to show him how APM’s Disability Employment Services program would help him find a job, how that job could improve his mental health, and most importantly for Cristian, how it would lead to being able to provide more for his son.
  

Cristian's job plan

As his dedicated APM employment consultant, Rita worked to keep Cristian motivated.

For many people living with anxiety and depression, just getting out of bed in the morning is a difficult challenge.

Cristian said he found his program with APM daunting at first, but Rita developed a job plan to get him moving forward and put him at ease.

Rita introduced Cristian to local employers so he could see the jobs available near him and build his confidence meeting new people.

Rita also helped Cristian search for employment and worked with him to maintain a positive approach to job seeking.

When Rita wanted to prepare Cristian for job interviews, she encouraged him to wear smart and appropriate clothes for mock interviews. This made him much more comfortable for the real thing.

As his guide through the Disability Employment Services program, Rita maintained a positive approach to Cristian and consistently encouraged him to believe in himself and the work he could achieve.

By identifying his skills and potential for suitable jobs, Rita was able to help Cristian realise his own purpose in life and take action.
 

Cristian's decision quickly paid off

Not only could Cristian achieve his goals of providing more for his son, he quickly saw the positive side of having valuable skills and experience in a job he could perform well.

Cristian was soon more eager than ever to get out of bed, leave the house and say goodbye to the days of long-term unemployment by applying for jobs and attending interviews.

When Medico Hygiene Services approached APM looking for new members to join their warehouse team, Cristian was put forward.

He attended the interview but unfortunately wasn’t successful. However, the employer was impressed by Cristian’s professional approach to the interview and said they found him endearing.

It was a lasting impression.

A few days later the recruiter from Medico Hygiene Services called Cristian back to say they wanted to give him a go.

Through his commitment to his job plan and the Disability Employment Services program, Cristian had opened the door to long-term employment for the first time in 10 years.

Cristian is moving forward again

In just a few weeks Cristian saw the difference his new job made on his life.

Having a valuable job has already improved his mental health and he is able to better manage his condition and take more control over his daily life.
 
In the workplace Cristian has also continued to grow and is receiving training to increase his role and take on new responsibilities, including delivery runs from the warehouse he started in.
 
Most importantly, after a decade of struggling to find work and battling anxiety and depression, Cristian is happy again and is proud to be able to provide more for his son.