Mo's Story

Told by Nelson, Deputy Manager, The Tree House | Names and some identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.

When Mo, 25, first arrived at The Tree House, he would spend most of the day in his room, only coming out to have his daily medication and ordering food online to avoid preparing meals with others in the communal kitchen.

Mo came to The Tree House with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and frequently expressed delusional thoughts. The team begun by encouraging Mo to talk with them whenever he felt anxious – whether that be the middle of the day or the middle of the night.

Quite by chance, Mo’s key worker at The Tree House was originally from Ghana, where Mo was born. This comforted Mo and he enjoyed reconnecting with his cultural roots.

During his stay, Mo said that he wanted to go back to work, and his key worker supported him to write his CV and enrol on an apprenticeship training course. Mo also showed an interest in attending social events and, with support from an outreach worker, went to a local club in Brixton.

Mo’s personal care also improved and he began to show an interest in cooking. He started to prepare meals that had a connection with his cultural background, and other foods that he had never tried before.

As well as enjoying a new interest, Mo also found that this helped him to budget more effectively. When he first cooked lasagne from scratch, he was so pleased he vowed to cook more regularly.

“During his time at The Tree House, Mo went from being withdrawn to being more energetic and engaged. He became more confident and comfortable with reconnecting with people, until he eventually started to reconnect with his family and his church.” Nelson, Deputy Manager, The Tree House