I was first introduced to Stride in 2016, when I was staying at an aged care facility. I suffer from OCD, which is not completely disabling but has the potential to affect the activities I do in my daily life.

One of my support workers and my sister helped me to get a place at one of the Supported Independent Living facilities – which is much better than living in an aged care home.

There is a lot more freedom, I can leave when I want to because I’ve always got the key to come back in. I can also buy my own food and live more independently.

This year, I was able to successfully travel from my home in Queensland to the visit the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Because of my condition, I have never had a driver’s license and was therefore entirely dependent on public transport during my trip. Nevertheless, I still had a successful trip and a great time.

Stride staff helped me to plan my trip and this was a huge achievement for me personally.

Alex’s story is one of resilience. After battling depression and obsessive-compulsive behaviors since high school, he found new hope in late 2022 with the headspace Early Psychosis team. In January 2023, Alex joined the Individual Placement & Support (IPS) program, determined to rebuild his confidence and find meaningful work.

With the help of headspace staff, Alex created a resume and explored new career options. After some setbacks, he secured a traineeship in Conservation and Ecosystem Management, a field he hadn’t considered before. This role brought financial stability, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Through the IPS program, Alex overcame social isolation, repaired relationships, and built strong connections at work. Reflecting on his journey, he credits the Work and Study team for their support, saying, “Without them, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to grow.”

Alex’s story is a testament to the power of determination and the right support system.

Hi, my name is Lisa, I live in the Orange NSW region and Stride services have played an important role in my mental health journey. Around 12 months ago, my Stride Support Coordinator, Rosanna Romeo, introduced me to my Recovery Coach, Jane Brow, which kick-started my journey towards better mental health.

Around 2 years ago I went through cancer treatment and lost all my hair. At the time I was sad about the news, but I knew that I had to get on with the treatment and try to stay positive.

Creating mental health goals with the support of Stride

During my meeting with Jane, we discussed setting future-focused goals, and working out what I wanted to achieve during our time together.

One of my biggest personal goals was to lose weight. It was suggested that I go off my medication, under the guidance of my Psychiatrist, which I followed through with.

My withdrawal reactions when getting off my medication were severe, but with the support of Jane, I was able to persevere.

Taking the next steps of my mental health journey

Through this process, I started walking, exercising, and taking my dog with me for company.

Over time, I have managed to drop 26 kgs which has improved my confidence and helped me feel so much better about myself.

As my mental health improved, I then focused on my goal to start looking for casual work.

I spoke to Jane about my thoughts on this and vocalised my desire to give back and work in a rewarding environment, which for me was in the disability sector. My Support Coordinator, Rosa suggested a few local providers, so  Jane and I set out to work on applying for a suitable role.

We got my resume updated and Jane sent this along to a disability provider in my local area. Before I knew it, I got called in for an interview.

Jane and I worked on my interview skills which gave me the confidence to go to the interview on my own and have a go.  One week later I got a call, they advised me I got the job as a casual Disability Worker.

I was so excited and proud of myself for doing this all on my own, with Stride right by my side every step of the way. I immediately called Jane with the great news. She was very excited for me and very proud of what I had done.

It has taken me a long time to get to where I am at, but it hasn’t always been easy. Having positivity, courage and belief in yourself goes a long way. Knowing there are people like Jane and Rosa on hand encouraging and believing in you helps with your confidence.

I am slowly getting my life back on track.

Hello, my name is Alison Gallagher and I have bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2015 after a stay in Bloomfield Hospital in Orange. I manage my Bipolar in a number of ways. Firstly, I take medication everyday to stabilise my mood, then every day I meditate for half and hour. Weekly I see my support worker from, Stride for about an hour, then every month I see my psychologist Yin and I visit the GP DR Jack every six weeks. This is how I manage and to my credit and the credit of the people in my life who help me I have managed to stay well for the past eight years.

I am a mother and a wife, and my Husband and my two boys are very supportive of me and my illness. My children check to make sure I take my medication each day and my Husband checks in with me each day to make sure that I am tracking ok. My parents are also a huge support in my life and I don’t know where I would be without their support.

Having a support worker or recovery coach from Stride has helped me to stay on track with my recovery and keep my bipolar disorder at bay. It is wonderful to have a debrief with someone each week and check in to make sure that you are still on top of things and if you are not feeling so great you that support is at hand. The NDIS helps me access support more easily and affordably.

Thanks to being well and in recovery for so long I have started to study TAFE this year to get some employable skills to hopefully get a job and get back into the workforce. I am just over halfway through with my studies and have been surprised that I have passed every subject.

Stride is helping me to live my best life through the support of my support worker, recovery coach who helps me to see my full potential and not just the illness I have. Without the help Stride I don’t know where I would be the services they provide are second to none and I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Ever wondered what it’s like to be part of Stride’s support network?

Over five years, Cassandra worked with Recovery Coach, Jane Brow, at Stride’s previous Bathurst location. From her first visit until today, Cassandra had the support to make incremental and meaningful changes to gain a more positive outlook on life.

This is Cassandra’s story of courage and consistency. It was a privilege to stride alongside Cassandra, guiding her to create the bright future she envisioned for herself.

The first step

After relocating from Sydney to Bathurst, Cassandra struggled to leave her home. She was unwell for a long period of time, unable to socialise, engage with the community or attend appointments.

After many attempts from Stride to contact Cassandra, she finally agreed to come to the Stride Bathurst office to attend our Women’s Group.

A very nervous and anxiety-filled young woman came through the door, sweating and reserved. The other women in the group made Cassandra feel welcome and reassured her that she was on the right path.

From there Cassandra began one-on-one sessions with Jane, and this is where the story takes a happy turn.

Setting and achieving goals

Over time Cassandra built trust with the Stride team and became more goal oriented, setting herself long and short-term aspirations and working hard to achieve them.

She started attending all group sessions and was a great asset during these sessions as her positive outlook influenced other clients to achieve the same. outlook.

Rejoining the community

As the years passed, Cassandra’s consistency and determination began to reap its rewards. She was able to go grocery shopping in-store rather than online, sit in a cafe and have a coffee, catch public transport on her own, and attend most appointments.

She even started walking to complete her daily errands rather than getting someone to pick her up. By making a small but positive adjustment to her daily routine like walking she managed to lose 40kgs and feel more confident in the world.

Gaining and maintaining employment

As her confidence built, Cassandra expressed to Jane that she’d like to volunteer in the community with the hope of gaining new employment one day.

She was offered a role volunteering at a cafe and cleaning for two hours a week. She embraced the opportunity without hesitation.

Later down the track, the cafe extended its business to include a florist. Cassandra had made such an impression on the business that they offered her a job at the florist and a chance to become a barista at the cafe.

Where is Cassandra today?

Cassandra has just completed her RSA/RCG and is now a qualified Barista. She’s also on her way to gaining set hours and regular days of employment.

When reflecting on her experience, Cassandra told Jane that her progress was “all because of Stride and how they supported me”. Jane assured her that it was her hard work and persistent attitude that got her this far.

“It took Jane and Stride to believe that I could do it,” Cassandra insisted.

And that’s all it takes sometimes, someone to believe in you and your potential. That’s why Stride exists; to help Australians strive towards a better tomorrow.