Perseverance is a trait that is present within many of our clients as well as our staff. This characteristic is particularly present in clients and staff of our Addiction Services. Clients sometimes require our support multiple times before they eventually achieve the sobriety they are aiming for. Staff equally never give up on clients and continue to champion and support them through difficult times. This conviction is best told through the story of one our clients, Will, who relapsed before returning to Addiction Services a second time.  This is Will’s story. In April 2024, Will returned to the Detox Support … Read more

Struggling to find employment despite incredible effort can have a big impact on someone’s health and wellbeing. This was the case with Scotty, who found it difficult to identify a clear path into work after being failed by multiple services. This, coupled with the difficulty of managing a chronic illness, made Scotty feel hopeless. However, after working with BHT Sussex’s Intern Programme, who supported Scotty and his specific needs, Scotty found a way through. This is his story. Feeling hopeless “My life was pretty bleak for many years, and I did not see much of a future ahead of me. … Read more

BHT Sussex is part of an alliance of organisations in West Sussex who work together to empower people to improve their mental health and wellbeing called Pathfinder. Pathfinder prides itself on its volunteer Peer Mentors – people who use their lived experiences of mental health challenges to create a supportive environment where their clients can discuss their needs, as well as work towards achieving their goals and aspirations. Clarrissa used to attend Peer Mentor groups as a client, soon becoming a Peer Mentor herself. This is her story: “When I first came to Crawley, I was in a really bad … Read more

For some it comes as a surprise that BHT Sussex runs an immigration and asylum legal service. The overwhelming majority of those we work with are ‘unaccompanied minors’, young people and children arriving in the UK with no adults to look after their welfare.

Baddar came to the UK in 2008 aged 15 fleeing persecution in Afghanistan. His initial asylum claim was refused. We assisted him with a further application to allow him to remain in the UK but this was also refused. After this, there have been numerous appeals with every decision seeming to go against him. We gathered evidence in support of his claim to show that he is particularly vulnerable as he has a learning difficulty and suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression.

We gathered country evidence to support the fact that he would be at risk if he returned to Afghanistan.

Having someone you can rely on to help you through difficult situations is essential to a stable environment. This is what we provide in our supported housing service in Mid Sussex. Our clients each have a dedicated support worker who helps them gain independent living skills and improve their overall wellbeing. Such stability and frequent one on one support can effect great change in our clients. This was the case for Josie who came to Mid Sussex Supported Housing following a long-standing history of severe mental health issues. This is Josie’s story. Josie is a young woman with autism who … Read more

Our Homes for Ukraine Sustainment Service not only supports Ukrainian refugees and their hosts throughout their placements, but we also support Ukrainians who want to move into the private rented sector. The housing system works completely differently in Ukraine, so many people feel lost and confused. One such person is Nadiya, who we helped find her own home after she felt ready to leave her host. Nadiya is a 40-year-old woman who was living with a host in Sussex after fleeing Ukraine due to the war. Nadiya wanted her children to come and live with her in the UK, as … Read more

There can be many factors that build up to cause someone to be insecurely housed. For Jacqui, the loss of her job and the breakdown of her marriage led her to become a member of the ‘hidden homeless’ population, as she was sofa surfing. This is when she sought the help of the Accommodation for Work project at BHT Sussex. Jacqui first came to the project following her separation from her ex-husband. He retained the family home to look after their children as he was not working. After moving out, Jacqui stayed on her mother’s sofa and worked part time. … Read more

In the past few years, we have expanded our organisation and added the Homes for Ukraine Sustainment Service, based in Polegate. This team’s core goal is homeless prevention as they work to support Ukrainian refugees being hosted across Sussex, as well as the hosts themselves. Oksana is one of the many Ukrainian women we have supported who have had to move to the UK due to war. This is her story. Oksana is a 45-year-old woman who arrived in the UK with her teenage daughter. They were placed with a host in Sussex and lived there for a year. However, … Read more

Over the last couple of years, BHT Sussex’s Addiction Services have noticed an increase in the number of ‘second generation’ addicts. They were children who grew up with one, or both, parents with a severe alcohol and/or drug problem. They often suffered extreme neglect and, in most cases, severe trauma.

The nature of the work that we do at both the Detox Support Project and at the Recovery Project is to help clients to address safely the legacy of their core needs being unmet as children. By doing so, we reduce the chances of those issues becoming triggers for relapse, and they are able to rebuild their lives with the skills and self-belief they were not given as children.

Brendon is a 31-year old alcohol and cocaine addict who recently completed treatment within our Addiction Services.

Sometimes people who we have supported contact us years after their time with us just to say thank you. It is always wonderful to hear from people who have turned their lives around, and a powerful testament to the long-term impacts of our services. Steve got in touch nearly ten years after he stayed at Phase One, our high-support hostel for people who are homeless in Brighton, where we work with people to address the root causes of their homelessness. This was Steve’s message to us.   Hi all at BHT Sussex, I just wanted to email you all as … Read more

When a person has experienced many setbacks in life, it can be difficult to find a positive way forward. Prior to coming to Route One, our mental health supported accommodation, Alice was finding it hard to cope with mental and physical health needs, a breakdown of familial relationships and substance use issues. We helped Alice gain the support she needed to see a brighter future away from sofa surfing and into independent accommodation. This is her story. When Alice was referred to Route One, she had complex needs inclusive of emotionally unstable personality disorder, and challenges with depression and intrusive … Read more

Living with unsupported mental health needs can make reaching personal goals seem unimaginable and unrealistic. However, through the support offered at Route One, our mental health supported accommodation, we help set our clients on the path to meet their goals and feel more in control of their own lives. This was the case with Eleanor, who gained the tools to move on with her life after coming to Route One. This is her story. Eleanor is a 32 year old woman who was living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD). Eleanor was struggling with alcohol and … Read more