​Joel was on a problematic path when he stumbled across an opportunity that would go on to shape his career and life trajectory.

“I had a fairly ‘colourful’ life when I was in my late teens / early 20s, living for the weekend and getting up to all sorts of crazy stuff. I needed to get my life together, so I went to uni to study psychology.”

Joel got most of the way through his degree in Adelaide when he decided to move to Brisbane, picking up a series of factory jobs.

“I was unhappy in those jobs, feeling unfulfilled. I knew someone who was working at RFQ who thought I’d be a good fit for a support worker role. I still remember at the interview sitting on the porch at Ryan’s Place, thinking, ‘wow, this place is different’.”

Fast forward 13 years and Joel is still with RFQ, having worked in various roles across different locations and programs before landing in his current position of Assistant Area Manager.

“It’s been a real journey and I’ve loved experiencing different parts of RFQ. I think starting out being a worker on the ground has been a great foundation, as it gives you a true understanding of the work that we do.”

While Joel has always had a passion for people, he’s as surprised as anyone to see where his career has taken him.

“I’ve always had a strong sense of social justice, I just didn’t have the vocabulary to explain what it was I wanted to do. I never wanted to be a psychologist, but I was attracted to the hands-on work with clients. I saw the value of the psychosocial support, rather than the clinical side of things.”

Joel says it’s been a privilege to play a part in the challenges and successes of our clients’ journeys. The client-first nature of RFQ is what’s kept him around for all these years.

“Anyone who’s been here for a while will say the same thing – RFQ truly embraces their values. Our values are not just words written on a wall – they underpin every single decision that’s made. It’s so rare that an organisation lives and breathes their values and is constantly asking, ‘how will this affect the client?’

Joel appreciates the support he’s received over the years as he’s grown and moved around. He says mental health is an endlessly fascinating field that continues to challenge and captivate him each and every day.

“I have learnt a lot from my clients over the years. I’ve seen that a great life is still possible when you have mental illness – it doesn’t need to be scary.”