Open Minds supported Trevor*, a young adult, to transition from the care of the Department of Child Safety to adult life, by finding suitable Supported Independent Living accommodation.
Trevor was previously living in Child Safety Accommodation in Toowoomba; on the verge of turning 18, he needed new support and a new home. His Child Safety Officer therefore approached Open Minds to support Trevor through this change.
Tony, Support Coordinator with Open Minds, has a passion for supporting young people to achieve positive outcomes in the community, and to transition to adult life.
Tony began working with Trevor to progress towards his first goal: to have somewhere safe to call home when he turned 18.
Tony supported Trevor to apply for NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) funding, resulting in a three-month package to help get him setup in the short-term before reassessing a longer-term plan.
Under the short-term package, Tony arranged for Trevor to have support for a few hours five days per week. This included everyday living tasks such as cooking, cleaning and catching public transport, to help Trevor learn skills to work towards independence.
By working with both Trevor and his mother, Tony was able to secure Trevor temporary respite accommodation with a partner organisation.
Respite is temporary residential care where clients can stay while waiting for a more permanent home to become available. Respite can also be used for day care for both clients and their carers to allow them to have breaks from their everyday lives.
This accommodation allowed Tony to continue to search for a long-term solution, where Trevor could live in a Supported Independent Living arrangement.
Tony arranged for Trevor to trial a potential long-term home, so Trevor spent the night to see how he liked it. To everyone’s delight, Trevor was very happy with it.
Trevor said: “I like it because it’s much quieter than where I am now, and I can concentrate on writing my Story.
“My family are happy that I’m getting the support I need, and I know that I need all the support I can get.”
Following the successful trial, Trevor will soon be moving into the Supported Independent Living home.
Next on his list of goals is to get a longer term NDIS plan approved, look for a job in the technology sector, and learn to drive one day to give himself even more independence.
Trevor continues to keep up his hobbies of Pokemon, gaming, watching movies, and going for hikes.
*Client name has been changed