Caring for a person with a mental illness can vary from day to day and from person to person. People living with a mental illness can experience periods of wellness and periods of illness, so the caring role can vary greatly. This can make caring for someone with a mental illness more difficult because it is hard to predict and plan.
It can also be different from other caring roles because many mental health carers find it hard to define what they do for the person they care for.
In many cases mental health carers provide an overwhelming amount of emotional support and are often very involved in helping the person they care for to navigate mental health and community services.
We can work with you to:
If you support someone with a mental illness who may be eligible for NDIS but are unsure of how to proceed, please call us on 1800 422 737
Keeping Families Connected is a five-week group program that provides participants with practical advice on managing stress associated with caring for someone with a mental illness.
Our experienced counsellors work closely with the group to develop new strategies to cope with mental illness and how it affects family relationships.
Through weekly meetings, this program enables you to build relationships with other carers experiencing similar situations while expanding your knowledge of mental illness.
Some of the topics covered at the support group meetings are:
If you are interested, one of our experienced counsellors can do an individual assessment to ensure that the program is appropriate for you.
We run three courses per year, so even if you can’t make this one, you can put your name down for future courses.
Call us on 1800 422 737 to find out more about the program.
We host three carer support groups a month:
These groups provide an opportunity for you to talk freely about how your caring situation impacts on your life.
If you are interested in learning more about these groups, please call us on 1800 422 737 or email support.groups@carersact.org.au for more information.
Toward this, we support mental health carers to participate in creating positive change in mental health and facilitate their involvement in consultations, media engagement and other advocacy efforts.
For more information, see Mental Health Carers Voice to read about our work in advocating for change and how you can participate.
The Beyondblue Guide for Carers A resource for Supporting and Caring for a Person with Anxiety and Depression
Head to Health is a Government website to help you find online mental health resources.
The Mental Health Foundation ACT offers supports in accommodation, employment, personal assistance, personal wellbeing activities and life skills.
ACT Recovery College A place to learn about mental health, recovery & wellbeing
Richmond Fellowship supports individuals living with a mental illness through a residential recovery program and mentor service in Canberra, Queanbeyan and Goulburn.
Partners in Recovery (PIR) is a community based program aimed at supporting Canberrans living with severe and persistent mental health concerns to develop their own plans for sustained recovery.
COPMI promotes better outcomes for children and families where a parent experiences mental illness
Reimagine – Supporting people living with mental health conditions to navigate the NDIS
