Lee has been with RFQ since her youngest son was in nappies – now he’s in Year 12. After relocating to Brisbane from Darwin in 2002, Lee spent several years at home with her three boys before embarking upon a new career.
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“I managed a fast-food restaurant previously but, after having my children, I wanted to get into something else. I had always been interested in the community sector, so I studied community development. I stumbled into mental health and have loved it ever since.”
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Lee has recently returned to her social work studies, after putting it on the backburner as her children grew up. She will continue in her role of Senior Recovery Support Worker while taking some time off to undertake the practical component of her degree. As Lee moves forward in her career, she embraces the opportunity to look back fondly on the memories she has gathered over the years.
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“I still run into people who I supported over ten years ago – people who say, ‘you taught me how to cook’ and things like that. That’s what keeps me here – knowing that you made a real difference in someone’s life.”
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“The other element of my role I really enjoy is mentoring staff members and spending that one-on-one time with them. It’s nice to be able to share knowledge of services and the history of RFQ. When I started in 2008, there was about 85 people working here, so that’s obviously grown a lot! It’s a busy, changing and evolving environment that we work in – it’s exciting.”
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In RFQ, Lee has found an organisation that walks the talk – and she is proud to be playing her part in building a brighter future for people with mental illness.
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“I’ll always remember one client who lived with paranoid schizophrenia and was quite unwell. We used to take him to his medication appointments, but he didn’t like going. I worked with him 2-3 days a week for six years and the changes we saw in him over that time were incredible. He got his licence, lived independently in his own unit and secured part-time work. That’s what keeps me going.”
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“It’s very special to share someone’s journey for so many years and see their growth. It just goes to show how far people can come with the right support – their future starts to look very different. RFQ really cares about people. I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”