When we first met Noreen, she explained to us that after having left prison she now had very low mental health, was addicted to drugs and homeless. Noreen fell pregnant while living on a friend’s sofa and was at risk of having her child removed. Noreen desperately wanted to take care of her baby and contacted Anawim for help.
It was not an easy journey. Noreen suffered further trauma through a car accident, which triggered more substance abuse. As a result of the accident, Noreen experienced flashbacks and physical issues, making it harder to look after her newborn baby. But she persevered and together with the help of one of our Prison In-reach caseworkers, managed to register with a local GP, accessing medication to support with mental health and a referral to rehabilitative services.
Feeling hope for the first time in a long time, Noreen began to attend Anawim’s courses. Noreen’s confidence and ability to cope improved massively, and she continued with group work to understand trauma, attended parenting classes and focused on recovery, working with our caseworkers to keep up her progress. Having brought some stability into her life and working hard to give up drugs completely, Noreen and her baby are now living in supported housing with access to benefits and continued one to one support for her needs.