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I have been into heroin & crack cocaine for 30yrs, in & out of jail too. I was in my forties & about to lose my kid’s & grandkids, homeless, warrants out for my arrest, I was so depressed. Once again I was given a 12wk custodial sentence for shoplifting, I came out of prison & straight into recovery with the help of the Carrat team & Spectrum health care within prison, I was so nervous about moving to a new town I had never been, let alone where it was.
I met with my keyworker from Change, Grow,Live’ (CGL) the day I was released straight away. She made me feel so relaxed & positive about the start of my new journey, I was still nervous though but excited to get started.
I was on of methadone , then went onto the Buvadol for 6mths, I am now off that too. My keyworker, when we first met, had referred me to other group facilitators, within groups I was interested in doing ‘a new me’ (emerging futures) was one of them, acupuncture was another.
It is now 9mths on & I have engaged with all that was offered to me through my keyworker, also doing NA meetings. I am about to start an adult course in L1 painting & decorating. I have done voluntary work in flower gardens & the vegetable gardens, I also have all my family back in my life, kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, brother, sister & my parents, more than I bargained for. I have been steady for the whole 9 mths now & loving every minute of my life & it’s all thanks to the CGL, my keyworker, & group facilitators who have given me the strength, courage, to do more & be grateful for what I have now, waking up in my own bed every morning, food in my stomach, (food bank’s available) which CGL & probation have also helped with.
If I had known about these services & the help available to us all, then I would of done this all of this a lot sooner. These services are there to help us get your life back. My journey to were I am today has opened up so many more possibilities for me now & your journey could also start with taking that first step & ask or get the help that’s needed or wanted.
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Staff skills
![Daily living support](/content/shared/images/talking-mats/care/support_with_daily_living.gif)
Daily living support
![Team work](/content/shared/images/talking-mats/care/team_yellow.gif)
Team work
Responses
See more responses from Danielle Smith
Update posted by Benyb74 (a service user) 11 months ago
See more responses from Mo Amad