Mental health early intervention case study - Bonnie's story

Bonnie's Story Accoras You.nique

Body image | Anxiety | Trauma | Family relationships | Unstable home

Bonnie is a young person who was referred to Accoras You.nique (previously known as Accoras Family Mental Health Support Service) by her school Guidance Officer. She was seeking support to manage her anxiety, build her confidence and help her negotiate challenges she was experiencing in her relationships with her peers. Bonnie also reported some concerns around her body image and relationship with food and exercise, and was experiencing some suicidal ideation and having thoughts of self-harm.

Initial Assessment and Goals

During the initial assessment, Bonnie reported a history of trauma and it became clear that she continued to experience complex family dynamics and an unstable home life, including concerns around housing and limited access to support services. She reported that she had previously linked in with support services, but had had negative experiences which had impacted her confidence and willingness to continue to seek help.?

A number of goals for support were identified, including to help Bonnie to increase her knowledge and understanding of anxiety, develop coping strategies to reduce her distress, build her self-confidence and positive body image and develop her communication and conflict management skills. Support for her family was also identified as a priority, to assist them in building their understanding of Bonnie’s needs and how they could best support and nurture her.

Working together, towards Bonnie's Goals

Bonnie and her Child, Youth and Family Practitioner primarily worked together at Bonnie’s school. Initial interactions focused on building rapport and Bonnie’s confidence to engage in support, and then moved to assisting Bonnie to implement grounding strategies and other coping strategies to help her manage her anxiety. Sleep hygiene and positive habits for physical health and wellbeing were discussed, and a strengths focus was used to help build Bonnie’s self-confidence. A safety plan was completed to help Bonnie manage her suicidal ideation and thoughts of self-harm.?

Referrals to external support agencies and clinical mental health services were completed for Bonnie and her family as part of a holistic approach to assisting Bonnie to improve her mental health. A support letter advocating for the family’s relocation to community-subsidised housing closer to Bonnie’s school was completed, given the practical and financial strain the family was experiencing due to their geographic isolation.?

Bonnie was supported by her Child, Youth and Family Practitioner to participate in the Koping Adolescent Program, a three-day psychoeducation and peer-support program for adolescent children of parents with mental health difficulties.?

Support approach

To meet Bonnie’s needs, and particularly during times when she was experiencing heightened anxiety, a flexible and tailored approach to support was utilised. Strategies included the provision of support for Bonnie’s parent, scheduling appointments at different times during the school week to ensure Bonnie did not consistently miss the same class and could participate in key lessons and assessments, and providing support by phone when required.

Outcomes

The support provided to Bonnie has assisted her to build her understanding of her mental health, and develop a suite of coping strategies to help her manage any distress. She reports significantly lessened anxiety when participating in school exams and assessments. Her relationship with her body and her physical health and wellbeing have both improved. After participating in the Koping Adolescent Program, Bonnie feels less isolated and developed positive peer connections with other young people experiencing similar life challenges. She also reports experiencing less conflict with peers and family members, and her family report increased understanding of and confidence to positively support Bonnie’s mental health.

For more information about Accoras You.nique visit: https://www.accoras.com.au/younique

Accoras You.nique services the South Brisbane and Gold Coast catchments, working with children and young people aged 0-18. This program is free and outreach based, our team goes to the client working together in a space the best supports their goals and needs.

*Names and identifying details have been removed from this story for client privacy. Images used are stock images.