Hi @craftyperson
I just wanted to reach out and welcome you to the forums - it’s great to have you here
I’m so sorry to hear that things are so difficult for you right now
Sadly, in my experience, mental health issues aren’t well understood and as such, they often evoke feelings such as fear, anxiety, intolerance and frustration from those around us. As a result, people often draw inaccurate correlations between mental health issues and peoples competence, credibility, behaviour, their ability to interact safely and appropriately with others and their ability to successfully and meaningfully participate in life
Absolutely! Many people who live with mental health issues work with children and families and they do a wonderful job I’ve actually spent the majority of my career working with children and families - during which time I’ve held some very responsible positions
I can really hear your confusion and uncertainty in relation to how best to return to work and my heart really goes out to you Attempting to return to work after a leave of absence can be an incredibly daunting, overwhelming and stressful experience With that in mind, I felt concerned when you mentioned that your Regional Manager ‘think that I should quit my job’ and ‘I ‘should go casual and just work occasionally but I really don’t want that’ and I just wondered if perhaps you feel pressured and / or intimidated to make decisions that you don’t feel overly comfortable with?
I’m not too sure what state you live in, but here in Queensland, there are several organisations that people can contact in relation to their rights and obligations as an employee. For example, Legal Aid, the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Office of Industrial Relations. As such, I just wondered if you would feel comfortable contacting the equivalent services in your state That way, you may be able to receive some information, guidance and support in relation to your own particular circumstances
You also mentioned that you’re currently receiving worker’s compensation and I just wondered if your return to work would be supported via a formal process such as a return to work programme which (from my understanding) would be guided by you, your treating specialist and a representative from your HR Department?
Also, just while I remember, if you would like to reply to another person’s post, just place an @ in front of their username (just like I did for you) and they will receive a notification that you have replied to them
I hope that this helps you a little bit
Take care of yourself,
ShiningStar