Brendon had lived with an ICE addiction for the last ten years. After completing three cycles of The Salvation Army Building Bridges recovery program led by facilitators Mike and Terry, Brendon was referred by Mike to the COACH Mentoring program at the end of 2021. Brendon’s drug counsellor had also referred him to Windana, a Drug and Alcohol 10 day detox unit with a direct transfer to the Eastern Bridge Program (The Basin) a 3 month residential recovery program. At that time there was a three to six month waiting period for the detox program.
Brendon said that while he was using ice “my job performance was affected and I lost my full-time job, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I lost interest in sports (which I was very passionate about) and lost my confidence and understanding of who I was as a person. All I was concerned about was where I could get more drugs.”
“I no longer had any friends. My family had lost patience with me. My brother would say to me that he has had to go to four funerals of friends who had lost family members to addiction and, he didn’t want to go to my funeral. I lived for the drug. At rock bottom, I found myself owing people money and lying and stealing from my own family to cover my addiction”.
By January 2022, Brendon had set goals with his COACH Coordinator Charmaine to be drug free and find employment. Charmaine matched Brendon with George a volunteer mentor with COACH. Brendon said that he wanted to better his life style from what it is, “mainly living my life drug free”. Also wanting to get back into the workforce and “become the respectful employee that I used to be”.
Brendon and his mentor George, met for about three months before Brendon entered the detox unit and resumed mentoring following Brendon’s stay in The Basin.
Brendon said that the mentoring provided him with structure and guidance that he needed when he came out of rehab. He felt that he was questioning what do I do now? He had been encouraged to join Narcotics Anonymous. He had so many questions. How to find and access services? What to do next? He felt very overwhelmed. The mentoring relationship gave him motivation, and guidance so his mind wasn’t so jumbled. George helped him to create a list and tick it off.
Together they reviewed the list, and George would ask him why hasn’t he achieved what he said he was going to do since their last meeting? Brendon felt that he could talk this through with George, this process was both challenging and encouraging.
In July 2025, Brendon is now three years clean. Brendon continued going to NA until about six months ago. He shared, “even today it is still a daily battle”; he talked about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and keeping yourself busy and it becomes easier.
“I regularly volunteer at the local football club that I was familiar with as my brother played football. I have bought myself a car and I have been working full-time for the last eighteen months. I have a good working relationship with my boss, I can talk with my boss, and he trusts me. I am in a better place with my Mum and I can talk with my sisters. I see my brother every weekend and our relationship is stronger. I feel stronger today, and I can reflect on what I have done, and I look forward to the future.”
Charmaine Vis was the COACH Coordinator at Project Hope, a joint initiative of the Salvation Army, Dandenong and COACH Network this role concluded June 30, 2022.
She is currenting working as the COACH Training and Network Manager, and is coordinating a local project: Empowering Refugees into Employment project
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