Talia said she felt like she didn't belong anywhere and nobody cared. Talia's father wasn't at home and her Mum had an alcohol problem.
By the time Talia was 11 she would start the day with a breakfast consisting of a couple of glasses of wine and then she would attempt to go to school. If she made it to school she would come into conflict with her teachers and fellow students which resulted in her being excluded.
When we met Talia she was a very distressed 13 year old, who was consuming large amounts of alcohol and who was often involved in conflict with those around her .Talia also told us that she had been recently expelled from high school and was adamant that she would not return to education. Additionally the rent was not being paid for the home she shared with her mother and brother; she was on the verge of becoming homeless.
We connected Talia with one of our Youth Workers who assisted her with gaining semi- independent housing, income and who referred her to our Drug and Alcohol Counsellor.
Talia also had difficulties with her eyesight which made learning extremely difficult. Campbell Page assisted her with Optician's appointments and glasses.
Talia identified one of her goals as wanting to become a Chef. She was linked to our specialist literacy Youth Worker with a view to her reaching that goal. Having received literacy assistance we then helped Talia to call a number of cafes to obtain work, subsequently, she secured a part time position.
Talia's work continues to this day and she is now studying year 10 through our Connections Programme, with the eventual goal of attaining an Apprentice Chef position. She remains clean and sober, fully engaged in her education and is becoming a happy confident young woman.
If you would like to join with Campbell Page to support families or individuals like Talia through partnerships in providing a service, resources or activities in your community, please contact:
Email: clair.swan@campbellpage.org.au
National Phone Number: 1300 139 920
Head Office: 02 4475 3555
Local Office details: View all Campbell Page locations.
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