Career Recovery and Rehabilitation Counselling Project

Challenge & Selection    I believe that life begins and ends with stories, which explains my affinity for the storytelling tool in  design thinking. I have this project called JoyMap, targeted at young people out there, who are  dealing with a lot of depression resulting from all the many pressures that the society is putting on  them. Some of these people have been rescued from suicide attempts; they are people at their limits of  desperation.   I work with a team of twenty-five dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers who join from our  website and participate by sharing their stories and experiences to assist our project.  Part of my work is to identify these cases and help connect them back to hope.  This would be difficult  as people in this situation feel judged and rejected by the society and turn to drugs, and self-rejection. I  had passed through a lot of difficulties growing up and faced a lot of pressures after the death of my  father. I was at the very extreme of desperation. I was bullied, rejected, and at the receiving end of  many unhappy situations that pass down the pipeline to those assumed to be weak in the society. I had  attempted doing drugs. I could relate to every tear that these people shed, and every wave of anger,  disgust and hatred that they throw at the society.   I locate them and show them my scars and the stories behind each scar that I bear. Most of them  relate, and open up their heart to tell me their own stories.     This is my avenue to collect applicable data concerning the mental processes of these people and their  thinking patterns. This helps me and my team to develop strategies to reach out to those in denial,  passing through these challenges in secret, but showing no signs, or attract attention. These are the  worst as suicide and worse damage could occur if not identified isolated and rehabilitated. It also helps  us with our approach design when dealing with such cases.    Application    Last year a college in Miami reached out to me after they heard of my project JoyMap.  Their school had witnessed up to eighteen teenage suicide attempts, several drug abuse cases  and other situations of mental disorder – the few that were observed or reported.  I took up a volunteer contract with them with a my team. Using our strategies within a month  we identified over fifteen students across all the classes in the school exhibiting some pre- identified signs of depression and had them marked for follow up.   I met Steve, a final year student, very addicted to drugs and reported to be a member of a  dangerous cult. Looking at him I could see all the signs written clearly over him, he was passing  through a high degree of depression. He was broken inside, but outwardly he cloaked his  feelings and hid under the shadow of false strength that he fed with the fear of the people he  bullied and intimidated.    I knew it was going to be hard getting to him, but I was no longer a beginner. I had my ways.    Insight & Approach    So I booked an appointment to see him on a weekend. I chose a quiet spot at one of the local  restaurants downtown. I doubted if he would come. But surprisingly he honored my invitation. Who  would not honor an invitation from an unknown person with a huge business interest?

I bought us food which we ate in silence. I could see him observing me. I could feel the doubts and  reassurances going on in his mind.   After the food I asked him a few general questions about school and how he fared. Then somehow, he  felt like a caged rabbit and became edgy.    I quickly pulled my shirt and turned my back to him. I could feel the sound of his jaws going wide in  shock. Almost anybody who saw them did that. I told him the story of those scars.  Using the same approach as I had for most of my clients, I reached out to his heart and he opened up.   Just as I observed from the other cases, he needed someone who could relate; who could listen, and  not judge him, someone he could trust enough to lay down his defenses.  Eventually he opened up and joined our therapy program for recovery and rehabilitation. Today he has  joined JoyMap as a volunteer and is out there helping to bring our lost brothers back to reality.    I never thought I could apply design thinking to this area of life as I used to see it as a method we used  only in web and software development. Now I see that design thinking also applies in any relevant  situation where a problem needs to be solved with a focus on the people.


Career Recovery and Rehabilitation Counselling Project Challenge & Selection I believe that life begins and ends with stories , which explains my affinity for the storytelling tool in design thinking . I have this project called JoyMap , targeted at young people out there , who are dealing with a lot of depression resulting from all the many pressures that the society is putting on them . Some of these people have been rescued from suicide attempts ; they are people at their limits of desperation . I work with a team of twenty - five dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers who join from our website and participate by sharing their stories and experiences to assist our project . Part of my work is to identify these cases and help connect them back to hope . This would be difficult as people in this situation feel judged and rejected by the society and turn to drugs , and self - rejection . I had passed through a lot of difficulties growing up and faced a lot of pressures after the death of my father . I was at the very extreme of desperation . I was bullied , rejected , and at the receiving end of many unhappy situations that pass down the pipeline to those assumed to be weak in the society . I had attempted doing drugs . I could relate to every tear that these people shed , and every wave of anger , disgust and hatred that they throw at the society . I locate them and show them my scars and the stories behind each scar that I bear . Most of them relate , and open up their heart to tell me their own stories . This is my avenue to collect applicable data concerning the mental processes of these people and their thinking patterns . This helps me and my team to develop strategies to reach out to those in denial , passing through these challenges in secret , but showing no signs , or attract attention . These are the worst as suicide and worse damage could occur if not identified isolated and rehabilitated . It also helps us with our approach design when dealing with such cases . Application Last year a college in Miami reached out to me after they heard of my project JoyMap . Their school had witnessed up to eighteen teenage suicide attempts , several drug abuse cases and other situations of mental disorder – the few that were observed or reported . I took up a volunteer contract with them with a my team . Using our strategies within a month we identified over fifteen students across all the classes in the school exhibiting some pre- identified signs of depression and had them marked for follow up . I met Steve , a final year student , very addicted to drugs and reported to be a member of a dangerous cult . Looking at him I could see all the signs written clearly over him , he was passing through a high degree of depression . He was broken inside , but outwardly he cloaked his feelings and hid under the shadow of false strength that he fed with the fear of the people he bullied and intimidated . I knew it was going to be hard getting to him , but I was no longer a beginner . I had my ways . Insight & Approach So I booked an appointment to see him on a weekend . I chose a quiet spot at one of the local restaurants downtown . I doubted if he would come . But surprisingly he honored my invitation . Who would not honor an invitation from an unknown person with a huge business interest ? I bought us food which we ate in silence . I could see him observing me . I could feel the doubts and reassurances going on in his mind . After the food I asked him a few general questions about school and how he fared . Then somehow , he felt like a caged rabbit and became edgy . I quickly pulled my shirt and turned my back to him . I could feel the sound of his jaws going wide in shock . Almost anybody who saw them did that . I told him the story of those scars . Using the same approach as I had for most of my clients , I reached out to his heart and he opened up . Just as I observed from the other cases , he needed someone who could relate ; who could listen , and not judge him , someone he could trust enough to lay down his defenses . Eventually he opened up and joined our therapy program for recovery and rehabilitation . Today he has joined JoyMap as a volunteer and is out there helping to bring our lost brothers back to reality . I never thought I could apply design thinking to this area of life as I used to see it as a method we used only in web and software development . Now I see that design thinking also applies in any relevant situation where a problem needs to be solved with a focus on the people .