Family Programs
Family members are very important to the well-being of young people, consequently they are also affected by a young person’s difficulties. In most cases, the family can contribute a lot to the care of the young person, providing support and assisting their recovery. However, families don’t have to do this alone – help is available. Family programs are designed for parents, partners, children, siblings, extended family, close friends and anyone who carries out a care-giving function for a person with a mental health problem.
The Clinical Program offers:
Individual sessions with a Case Manager or Family Support Worker to discuss issues of concern
- Regular information sessions to help families and friends understand mental illness. These sessions cover topics like the signs and symptoms of mental and emotional problems; what you might expect during recovery and how you can help; medication; the future and how to maintain recovery.
- Specialist work for more difficult problems faced by families
For further details contact the Case Manager.
Other programs facilitated by the Family Support Worker include:
Families helping families
Family carers new to Orygen Youth Health can talk with a peer family support worker – another father or mother who has had a family member using OYH services. Phone calls to offer support are made as soon as the details of the primary family carer are known. They are very reassuring to new family carers who can have their questions answered by people who have had firsthand experience.
Family support groups
Joining a support group allows you to talk openly and freely in an understanding environment; learn from others who are in similar situations; learn how to ask for assistance and to access services; develop friendships to overcome any sense of isolation; and receive emotional support.
Family Resource Room
The resource room at Orygen Youth Health's Poplar Road site has a selection of books, pamphlets, brochures, dvds, videos, audiotapes and cd roms on a range of relevant topics. Families and friends are encouraged to drop in to the resource room. Family peer support workers offer telephone and face-to-face information and support based on their own experiences of having a relative with a mental illness. For more information about any of these family programs contact the Family Support Worker on 03 9342 2800, or call in to the family resource room, near front reception.
Financial support for families and carers
The carer support program
Offers one-off financial help to families in situations where some extra funds would ease a situation that could lead to a crisis. A family member or carer may initiate an application to the case manager, who will then make an application to the service manager.
The Centrelink carer allowance
A carer allowance may be available for a person who is looking after somone with a mental illness. The difficulty with obtaining this allowance is that it is much harder for authorities to understand the nature of the caring role of parents when the disability is caused by a mental illness. If you are experiencing financial distress and believe that you qualify for this allowance, discuss your situation with the case manager or Centrelink. Carers looking after a disabled child aged 16 and over, where there is substantial impairment of normal function, and the child requires a lot of additional care in their own home may be eligible.
Family and Carer Support Organisations
There are a range of services available in the community to offer you support. For more details drop in to the family resource room or log on to http://www.serviceseeker.com.au/ Click here to download more information about helping someone with a mental illness (add link to the supporting a yp with a mental illness factsheet)