A regional contact point for service development, information and support for families, friends, partners and others who support someone with mental illness.
Do you support someone who has a mental illness? Our telephone CareLine can offer:
Someone to talk things over with.
Information on services and supports you may need (home help, Carer Payment, counselling).
Assistance with organising the appropriate form of respite for you (day programs, residential respite, holidays or home visiting support workers).
Assisting with the cost of unplanned / emergency or short term respite care.
Advocacy with services who are working with the person you care for.
Information on mental illness that can assist you as a carer.
Support to connect with local carer groups.
Information on your rights as a carer.
Respite enables carers and consumers to have a break in the regular care situation. Respite helps you find the balance between caring for others and caring for yourself.
Respite is flexible, based on individual needs, promotes healthy lifestyles and needs to benefit both the carer and the person with mental illness.
Respite, both planned and emergency, might include the following:
In Home Respite: a mental health support worker comes to your home to work with the person you care for in areas of identified interest (e.g. living/educational/social skills).
Activity Based Respite: occurs where a group of people have similar interests.
While the person with mental illness participates in a program, you as the carer may also wish to pursue social or other activities.
We can support you to identify your needs and interests.
It works at:
supporting general and mental health services to develop programs sensitive to carers experiences and needs.
supporting carer groups with group development, information, resources and education.
facilitating carer access to a range of respite options and supports.
developing resources and information related to caring for a person with mental illness.
identifying supports available to assist those with a care role.
identifying gaps in our service systems for carers and developing strategies to address these issues.
facilitating networking between carers and workers on specific issues.
co-ordinating professional education on carer issues.
Please talk with staff about your experience of the service, or if you have a suggestion or complaint. For information on our grievance procedure, contact the Manager.
There is an indication that as carers become more stressed they are less likely to know about and use support services.
Of the total number of people receiving the Disability Support Pension, people with a psychiatric illness comprise 20%, while the Federal allocation of respite funds to people with psychiatric disability is less than 0.1%.
Carers of people with mental illness make up only 4.4% of recipients of the Carer Payment - that is 1,400 carers Australia wide.
One research group found that while some carers had never had respite, another 33% of carers have never been absent from their responsibilities for more than four hours.
Studies on the health of carers reveal consistently poor health; indicating fatigue, weariness, tension at a higher rate than the general population.
From SANE Australia Planned Respite Care 1998 and The Price of Care 1994.
The Southern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne including:
Stonnington
Glen Eira
Bayside
Kingston
Greater Dandenong
Casey
Cardinia
Frankston
Mornington Peninsula.
Do you support someone who has a mental illness? Our telephone CareLine can offer:
- A 24 hour telephone service.
What is Mental Health Respite?
Respite enables carers and consumers to have a break in the regular care situation. Respite helps you find the balance between caring for others and caring for yourself.
Respite is flexible, based on individual needs, promotes healthy lifestyles and needs to benefit both the carer and the person with mental illness.
Respite, both planned and emergency, might include the following:
- Facility Based Respite: the person you care for staying in a setting where staff are experienced with mental illness.
While the person with mental illness participates in a program, you as the carer may also wish to pursue social or other activities.
We can support you to identify your needs and interests.
What is the Carer Mental Health Program?
It works at:
- raising the profile of carers of people with mental illness in the southern region of Melbourne.
Your Comments
Please talk with staff about your experience of the service, or if you have a suggestion or complaint. For information on our grievance procedure, contact the Manager.
Facts about carers
- Recent research indicates that between 40-57% of people with a psychiatric disability live with/near to a carer who provides support.
From SANE Australia Planned Respite Care 1998 and The Price of Care 1994.
What area does the program cover?
The Southern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne including:
- Port Phillip
