The Restart Scheme helps Marcus turn his life round

Marcus joined the Restart Scheme in May 2023, at first he did not engage very well and would not attend his appointments, however towards the end of the year, Marcus reengaged with us, saying that he wanted to turn his life around for the better. He disclosed that he was a substance abuser and was struggling with his addictions and in turn his mental health was deteriorating. Marcus advised he was actively putting himself in bad situations and associating with people with similar problems which was tempting him.
Marcus and his Employment Advisor Danielle made a joint plan in that appointment to start making positive changes and to introduce him to a stable and productive routine.
The first step was to refer him to the ‘Better health generation’, a partner who has trained clinicians providing health advisory services. Marcus has attended every single session and has stated how much of improvement he has seen regarding his mental health, feeling happier in himself. Danielle also set up weekly appointments, alongside weekly job clubs so Marcus was coming into the office two times a week for multiple hours each time; actively using his time to expand his skills and make productive changes. Marcus has also attended two different courses with our skills trainer Alex and was our most willing and engaged participant in the sessions, receiving a certificate at the end for his amazing efforts!
Marcus has now been clean for over a month which is an amazing accomplishment, and he is so much more confident within himself and has ambitions and goals. Our next step is to start looking for suitable employment for him!
*Picture is representational