Turned around by straight talking

‘CAROL’ reckons GRIPP saved her close younger relative from a life of crime.
Her relative ‘Jack’ avoided school after being the victim of violent, incessant bullying.
There seemed no escape – wherever Jack went, the group seemed to linger at school and all over Dandenong’s public places and railway station.
Instead of school, he hung in a gang in parks and empty houses, started on marijuana and then fronted the courts over “unpleasant” violent assaults.
The bullied became the bullies.
Jack’s family hunted for counsellors and psychiatrist, but he didn’t connect with any of them before he got to GRIPP.
Carol said there was an instant rapport between Jack and his youth worker who helped him uncover his hidden issues.
“They didn’t patronise him by speaking like young people speak. They don’t put up with their rubbish and tell it to them straight.
“They need to speak to someone who’s not too close. If the connection isn’t made, the young people won’t talk to you.”
Jack was off his anti-depressants, got back into studies and focused on his future. Without GRIPP, he would have been headed for jail – a point of no return, Carol said.
“I found it a life saver. It would have gone from bad to worse without that assistance.
“There’s been a huge change in the way he can work through things himself and come up with the right decision.”
She said school-absconders should be the first target for help.
“For that funding to be pulled altogether that is a tragedy.
“When you look at the high rates of unemployment and the ice crisis, surely you’d expect more money put in to this type of program, not less.”
– CAM LUCADOU-WELLS