Tangi's Story (in his own words)
Kia ora!
My name is Tangi, and I am reaching the end of my time with APM so I wanted to share what this experience has done for me during my time working with Georgia (and sometimes Tash) at APM Waikato.
When I was referred to APM I had been out of work and study for about two years and the state of my mental health was such that, at the time, I could not see a way forward under my own power. I have struggled with anxiety, depression and a host of other mental health issues since childhood and once I finished studying and could no longer spin my wheels I ended up self-isolating and disassociating from everything. Though I was dissatisfied with my situation - I did not have the energy, tools or mental bandwidth to dig out of the hole myself.
It was from here that I started working with Georgia and began to chip away at the obstacles and habits that had calcified in my mind. She outlined plans, tasks and goals that were productive without being overwhelming. She introduced me to people that I could trust and who she knew would take my problems seriously. I got diagnoses, medication, therapy through her support. She connected me with seminars and corresponded with people like my psychologist to improve communication and employ coping strategies that I can use. She taught me a myriad of skills to do with job hunting and interviewing. There is too much to list but the end result is that I am now confident, capable and motivated. In far more areas than just job hunting, I feel empowered and optimistic in the future so I have to thank Georgia and APM for that.
I have had experiences with other organisations trying to help me and I've thought a bit about why those efforts have failed where this succeeded. I think Georgia's interpersonal skills - the ability to encourage, ease anxiety and foster trust was important. She was very conscious of my feelings and capabilities which allowed us to make consistent progress without stagnating or feeling paralysing. I think the fact that the organisation was disconnected from WINZ allowed me to feel safe spending the time I needed to piece things together. As well as the explicit commitment to support me over quite a long period of time.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. As you can imagine, this experience has been important for me and I did not want that fact to go unrecognised. I hope others will find the value in APM that I have in the future.
Max's Story
Max is a young man from the North Island. He moved to Central Otago but had no family, friends or support group there. He had never been employed for an extended period.
When I met Max he was living in his car and in a really bad place. Deep down he was really wanting someone to believe in him and give him the tools needed to succeed. I met with Max a few times and I realised how important it was to get him into work as it was compounding his mental health.
I found him some casual work at a Orchard but I knew my work wasn’t done... he was still living in his car. He soon got an opportunity to apply for a 3 month contract at GSL Orchard in Roxburgh. From speaking to the manager, I was learned there was potential for more work and also staff accommodation... perfect!
Max and I practised interview questions and answers and I offered to call him an hour before. He said that would be great as he needed “a cup of confidence”. His interview was a success and he got the job! After only one week, his contract changed to permanent fulltime with the help of Flexi Wage.
I went to Roxburgh yesterday to visit and have a catch up, Max was proud to share all his duties and responsibilities and that he had been given a work truck to get from the house to the orchard. His sleep had improved and he was excited about his future - he even had a new haircut!
