Lived experience support that understands

I am Rupert, the person behind Rush Connect & Care. The service is built on lived experience. After going through a psychosis as a young person, I was later diagnosed with OCD and schizophrenia. I do not feel the need to go into every detail publicly, but that lived experience has shaped how I understand support, recovery, routine, trust, and the importance of having someone steady in your corner. Over time, it has helped me understand myself better and keep moving towards a more grounded direction.

A big part of what I bring is understanding that people do not always need someone to come in with all the answers straight away. Sometimes they just need someone who gets it, without judgement or acting like an authority over them. I think trust, patience, and consistency matter a lot, and I try to bring that into the way I support people. I know life can get messy, and I know how much it can help when someone is genuinely in your corner.

Alongside lived experience, I bring a Diploma of Business and completed training in NDIS both at work and through completion of training modules. I also hold a Working With Children Check and NDIS Worker Screening, which helps keep the work grounded, credible, and safe.

The things I enjoy include entrepreneurship, running a successful business, building a broad network, and constantly educating myself on new tech and the latest news. I play Aussie Rules football for a club in Alphington and basketball at Richmond’s YMCA, just behind Citizen Park. I have found fitness, simple as it sounds, to be essential to my health, even though I am not always on a big run or at the gym. I like to read and have read various books, but my favourite is Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. He covers different life events and uses green lights as a way of representing knowing the right time to go for it at different moments in life. My favourite movie is Star Wars, the first M-rated movie I saw, shown to me by a family friend. I enjoy practising mindfulness and making time for silence. I meditate mostly, which is another essential practice for everyday life and mental health.

I also value community, growth, and being around people who are trying to better themselves in one way or another. Playing sport, staying active, learning new things, and building something meaningful through Rush Connect & Care all give me a sense of direction. I also volunteer at various community health centres, which is something I find genuinely rewarding. It helps keep me grounded and reminds me that progress does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. Over time, change can happen gradually, and when things do not go exactly to plan, we can still learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.

I think you can expect me to be genuine and driven, while also being calm, supportive, available, able to build a healthy relationship, and practical in navigating everyday life.

To me, my work matters because I can work on something I am passionate about, and I am grateful to be able to do it.

Social media interaction would be a massive help: LinkedIn.

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