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Welcome to the June newsletter for the Carer Support Team. It has been a very exciting and busy time taking the lead for the carer support team and I am looking forward to continuing to work with the wonderful team to deliver support to mental health carers. We are delighted to welcome a new staff member, Jenelle to the Carer Support Team. Jenelle comes to us with a wide range of skills and experience, and we are so excited to have her on the team! You can learn a little bit about Jenelle in the profile piece in this newsletter.
If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Carer Support Team on 3254 1881 or via email carersupport@arafmi.com.au. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Warmest regards,
Frie
Friederike Robinson
Carer Support Team Leader
Carer Support Groups
We host face-to-face support groups in the following locations and times.
- Caboolture (4th Thurs 10am – 12pm)
- Cairns (2nd Tues 1:30 – 3:30)
- Caloundra (3rd Tues 1-3pm)
- Carindale (1st Tues 11:45 – 1:45pm)
- Chermside (2nd Friday 10am – 12pm)
- Cleveland (4th Mon 10am-12pm)
- Inala (3rd Mon 10am – 12pm)
- Indooroopilly (1st Thurs 1.30pm-3.30pm )
- Inner Brisbane (Last Sat 10am – 12pm)
- Ipswich (4th Friday 10am – 12pm)
- Logan (2nd Wed 10am – 12pm)
- Redcliffe (3rd Friday 10am – 12pm)
- Strathpine (1st Wed 10am – 12pm)
- Toowoomba (3rd Wed 10am – 12pm)
To learn more about our groups, please visit our website.
Interested in facilitating a support group?
If you have ever thought about facilitating a Carer Support Group, or feel there is an opportunity to start a new group in a different area, please contact us carersupport@arafmi.com.au.
Introducing "Coffee Connect"
We are trialling a new initiative – once a month, we’ll host a table at a coffee shop near our head office in West End. Frie will be available from 8am – 10am at Jugar coffee shop, 71 Jane Street West End.
You will be able to drop in, have a chat and catch up with other carers.
Day: every Thursday starting Thurs, 16 June
Time: 8am – 10:00am
Venue: Jugar Coffee Shop, 71 Jane Street West End
Upcoming Workshops & Info Sessions
Our June workshops and information sessions calendar is now available on the website! Visit the website today to see what’s in store for June.
Family Connections
The team will co-facilitate another Family Connections group for carers of loved ones with borderline personality disorder starting on the 8th of July. If you would like to know more about the program or see if there are still spaces available, please click this link About Family Connections | BPD Australia.
Counselling
As part of our carer support services, we offer counselling to mental health carers. This service is person-centred and strength-based counselling within a human rights framework.
Arafmi is able to offer up to 5 sessions, either face-to-face, online or phone. Counselling is delivered by our qualified social workers and is structured around Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This is an evidence-based model that combines self-acceptance with mindfulness skills that can help you to accept what is out of your control and at the same time commit to make your own life better based on your values.
Contact us via the link below to find out more
Phone Line
We understand the difficulties that mental health carers face. Our 24 hour Carer helpline is open to anyone who is caring for or about a relative or friend with a psychosocial disability.
You can call Arafmi’s 24 hour Carer helpline any time of the day to share your feelings, receive support, find new resources and learn helpful coping skills to help you in your caring role. It’s comforting to know that when you need to talk – someone who understands will be there – at any hour.
24hr National Helpline
1300 554 660 or 07 3254 1881.
24hr Regional Queensland
1800 35 1881 (free call from landline).
Arafmi Mental Health Carer Hub Fundraising Campaign
Arafmi is excited to announce that we have launched a fundraising campaign for our mental health carer hub! Last year we were fortunate to receive a Queensland government grant, allowing us to realise the dream of a dedicated mental health carer hub in Brisbane.
This hub will be a one-stop shop for unpaid mental health carers providing respite accommodation, workshops, counselling, support groups and more.
We are seeking donations to help us resource and furnish the hub and create a calm, tranquil, relaxing respite for mental health carers. Please share amongst your networks to help us spread the word!
Supported Independent Living (SIL) Vacancy - Brassall, Ipswich
Arafmi is seeking expressions of interest for a mature-aged female to co-tenant with one of our clients in a lovely three-bedroom home located at Brassall, Ipswich.
A bit of information about your housemate:
She would love to share her home with another mature-age female who enjoys cooking, craft, outings, and home activities.
She has a full and busy life, attending day respite 3 days a week, attending a weekly church service and is now a member of social coffee group.
Please note the house is not modified but can accommodate mobility aids.
We have an experienced SIL team who can assist with Activities of Daily Living, Community Participation and Transportation.
We can also assist with developing a Support Plan that meets your needs and assists you to achieve your goals.
We look forward to hearing from any interested stakeholders. Please contact Cate Biddle, Regional Manager – South-West via the button below.
What Has Been Happening
L.E.A.P. Training
Arafmi was fortunate to secure an online training session with Xavier Amador (clinical psychologist and author of “I am not sick. I don’t need help.” and other books). It was a very informative session and was appreciated by staff and carers. Dr Amador has developed the L.E.A.P. (Listen, Empathize, Agree and Partner) approach which offers a different way to communicating with people who live with mental illness.
If you are interested to learn more about L.E.A.P. please come along to our workshop “Communicating with the Person you care for”, either face-to-face or online. If you would like to see what workshops and events are coming up, please have a look at our website Events for June 2022 – Arafmi.
National Volunteer Week
Volunteer week was in May, and we celebrated with lunch at the Boundary Hotel and a small gift to thank our wonderful volunteers who are such an important part of Arafmi and our 24hr support line! THANK YOU!
Movie Night
Friday, 13 May
We loved being able to watch Downton Abbey with some carers at the New Farm Cinema. Despite the miserable and rainy weather, we had a wonderful group of carers come along to enjoy a well-earned break.
Working Together Event, Burleigh Heads
In May we organised the Working Together event at Burleigh Heads which gave carers a chance to connect with each other and learn about available support services for themselves. We would like to thank Cindy Heddle, Queensland Representative National Mental Health Carer and Consumer Forum, Louise Delaney, Carer Peer Worker, Queensland Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Service as well as Carers QLD for their support and work towards planning the event.
*Save the Date *
Arafmi Mental Health Carer Forum
Please save the date for our annual care forum which will be held on the 18th of October. Further details will be available closer to the time. We hope to see you there!
Meet Jenelle!
Jenelle has joined our wonderful Carer Support Team as a Carer Support Coordinator. Jenelle comes to us direct from the Logan and Redland Acute Care where she worked as an Independent Patient Rights Advisor. She joins the team at head office on a part-time basis and we’d like to extend a warm welcome to Jenelle!
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I am a carer for my son and very passionate about education and support for carers. I enjoy all things creative as well as watching crime documentaries.
What will you be doing at Arafmi?
I will be supporting carers in groups, educational workshops and phone support.
What do you enjoy about Carer Support?
I love to work along side carers to provide hope and education for a more positive caring experience.
What's your go-to productivity trick?
My go to productivity test is writing lists!
What was your first job?
Child Care assistant
If you could give your 16-year-old self some advice, what would it be?:
I would tell myself to go to University.
Three things still left on your bucket list:
1. Go to Italy
2. swim with dolphins
3. whale watching
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