Lisa's Story of Courage and Determination

"We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work, we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we've established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile." - Earl Nightingale

Hi, my name is Lisa. At the age of 37, I had been hospitalized and it was discovered I had acquired a traumatic brain injury with a secondary seizure disorder due to spousal abuse that I had received years earlier. After that diagnosis, I spent several years visiting multiple doctors, experiencing more hospitalizations, and trying different medications. Finally, I had the good fortune to meet a great psychiatrist that believed in me, which motivated me to return to work.

Previous to my health challenges, I had worked for many years in the field of social work, working my way up from transition homes to respite care, facilitating groups in pre-employment training programs, etc. When I decided to finally go back to work, I found it difficult to secure employment because I had been out of the labour force for so long; that’s when I came to hear about Newton - WorkBC Employment Services.

When I first encountered my amazing Employment Counsellor, I absolutely knew I had come to the right place; I felt truly heard!

The employment services and options were explained to me thoroughly and I felt there was now a defined plan in place I could follow to the end result I desired: securing employment.

My Employment Counsellor understood that I had a lot of experience and passion for social work and I knew there was still a lot of demand in this field. I attended workshops at WorkBC to determine that training was a possibility for me. My Employment Counsellor supported me in every way to ensure I would be successful. I was referred to the Neil Squire Society, met with an occupational therapist, and applied for and received the assistive technology that I required for schooling.

I felt that everyone I encountered at WorkBC wanted me to be successful and my Employment Counsellor was my greatest cheerleader. I was determined to do well in school to show my appreciation for everything that they had done for me. I maintained Honor Roll status throughout the duration of my studies. This surprised my doctor due to the damage done to my left temporal lobe.  I finished my schooling successfully and was offered the Community Support Worker position at the Semiahmoo House Society in Surrey.

A sincere thank you to everyone at Newton WorkBC! I am forever grateful.