Meet Lynn

“ COVEY was just there. They didn’t pressure or judge me, they just let me be.”

First referred to COVEY through her daughter’s school, Lynn was identified as a parent in need of support, but when Lynn lost her Mother, her addiction really took over:

“Everything was just going downhill, it actually got a grip of me. I’d keep everything to myself, but COVEY was just there. They didn’t pressure or judge me, they just let me be.”

Through one-to-one mentoring, Lynn’s COVEY supporter got to know her, helping Lynn in a way that suited her needs. COVEY connected Lynn with food banks and worked alongside the Citizen Advice Bureau to stabilise her financially. Her supporter also helped Lynn make a GP appointment, where she was referred to the Mental Health team and received specialist support for her wellbeing. Recognising that Lynn’s barrier to independence was low self-esteem, COVEY began setting small achievable goals:

“Every time I did something by myself, I felt more confident and started to think ‘you can do this Lynn…I am good enough’. COVEY helped me realise doing these small things, like my online food shop, were actually big steps.”

This support saw Lynn’s reliance on food banks decrease and she was building renewed mental strength everyday. As Lynn’s overall health improved, she began to explore recovery from her addiction. COVEY remained by Lynn’s side, offering support with her emotional and mental wellbeing. During her walks around Strathclyde Park with her supporter, Lynn’s gained perspective:

“We would just walk and talk. I realised things weren’t going to change unless I made changes. Actually doing these changes was the hard bit for me, but I did it. I was getting stronger and stronger and stronger.”

Lynn continued to make progress and her supporter began to look at what might be next for her. She went on to complete her Befriender Mentor and First Aid training with COVEY before taking on a volunteering role where her experience and empathy shone.

It was at this time that an opportunity from the Scottish Drugs Forum became available. Lynn’s supporter recognised that she would be a great fit for the role as an Addiction Trainee and showed it to Lynn. After applying for the position, Lynn got offered an interview. Having never been for a job interview before, COVEY supported Lynn with her preparation and Lynn went into her interview feeling confident:

“My certificates from COVEY gave me the confidence to go for it. I took them all into the interview to show what I had done. COVEY believed I could do it when I couldn’t believe it myself.”

Lynn was offered the position, which she accepted and she recently secured a promotion to Addiction Coordinator. As part of her training in these roles, Lynn earned an accredited SVQ qualification in Social Services and Healthcare and graduated with an Addiction Worker Project award. She recently attended her graduation ceremony, where she was asked to give a speech:

“I am so proud of myself. My daughter came to my graduation and said ‘I’m proud of you Mum’. It makes me emotional. I can’t believe the way my life has changed.”

The positive impact COVEY has had on Lynn’s life is profound. Whilst Lynn’s strength of character has undoubtedly had an impact on her journey, she believes COVEY was vital in her recovery and renewed outlook on life:

“My job helps me heal. I chose to change my life and I am so full of gratitude every single day for the ways COVEY helped me. It’s been a journey. I feel like I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for COVEY.”