Self Care
Self-care has been referred to as massages, walks & bubble baths and yes, while these do constitute self-care, what if we thought of self-care as moments we can put into our daily life or work practices.
We invite you to consider self-care as a work health and safety practise.
What could embedding self-care look like at your work place?
Dr Mim Fox, University of Wollongong & Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Social Work Educator and Lis Murphy explore these concepts and the importance of self-care to avoid vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue in the “The social work stories” podcast.
Because you care: fostering conversations about sexual and reproductive health is for foster carers, those working in the OOHC sector, and those with interest in trauma informed sexual health conversations.
The development of because you care involved extensive consultation with key agencies in both the trauma and out of home care sectors.
If you would like any further information please contact Naomi.Viret@health.nsw.gov.au or Jason.VanRitten@health.nsw.gov.au
The ACAP Psychology Clinic
The ACAP Clinic offers FREE individual, and group based psychological, counselling and social work services offered by senior and later year students, Provisional Psychologists, Clinical Psychology, Counselling and Social Work students at the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP). All students are supervised by board certified supervisors, who are experienced senior psychologists, counsellors, social workers and academics. We currently have space available without waiting list.
The Clinic offers services to children, adolescents, and adults, with a wide range of individual and group therapy options. During the COVID lockdown, fees are waived entirely, and all services are being safely provided via telehealth. ***For your information, at other times- affordable options are provided for people accessing therapy – costing $20 per individual therapy session, with fees waived entirely for students, people with Health Cards and others facing financial disadvantage.
Currently, senior students and Provisional Psychologists are offering individual therapy, group programs (domestic violence mutual self-help; social anxiety; mindfulness and compassion-based therapy*) and psychometric testing. We also have a mental health support group for international students.
*The compassion-based therapy program is looking at issues such as self-criticism and esteem. This program might be particularly useful with those who have experienced trauma, parental criticism or acts of violence.
Using telehealth, are able to work with people in any geographic location. Our student practitioners are culturally competent and well supervised. Many are from diverse backgrounds and are bilingual.
If there are any questions about the individual or group programs, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Individual and group therapy spaces available with no waiting list, so if you have some children and adults or families in mind – please encourage them to refer or make a warm referral on their behalf.
Members of the public can self-refer to the ACAP clinic (no GP referral is necessary) and it’s conveniently located in Sydney city (on level 11; 255 Elizabeth St at the Sydney ACAP campus), although all services are currently provided by Tele health because of the Covid lockdowns. In addition, we can consider outreach as a model of service delivery.
To book or for more information, visit The ACAP Psychology Clinic website or clients can refer or be referred by calling (02) 8236 8070.
Mens Tables
The Men’s Table www.themenstable.org creates a sense of belonging, community, peer support and camaraderie that is lacking for many men; even for some who already have a group of mates
Newly forming Men’s Tables are popping up around Australia, as groups of men commit to starting their own Table.
If you’re interested in joining a Table near you, let us know and we’ll put you in touch with the local men at that Table. If you can’t find a Table nearby or the one closest to you is full, reach out and we’ll help gather a new group of men around you.
In regional South East NSW we are launching 8 new tables by year end
- Kangaroo Valley Men’s Table Entree – Mon 25 Oct, 7:00 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 38.50 includes a meal and a drink
- Entree on Zoom – Wed 3 Nov, 7:00 – 8:30 pm – Register here; Cost is $ 5.50
- Berrima Men’s Table Entree – Tues 9 November, 7:00 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 38.50 covers a meal and a drink
- Port Kembla Men’s Table Entree – Wed 24 November; 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 33.00 includes a meal and a drink
- Entree on Zoom – Thu 25 Nov, 7:00 – 8:30 pm – Register here; Cost is $5.50
- Albury Men’s Table Entree – Sun 5 December; 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 38.50 includes a meal and a drink
- Tumbarumba Men’s Table Entree – Mon 6 December; 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 22.00 covers a meal and a drink
- Cobargo Men’s Table Entree – Tues 7 December; 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 22.00 covers a meal and a drink
- Bodalla Men’s Table Entree – Wed 8 December; 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 33.00 includes a meal and a drink
- Nowra Men’s Table Entree – Thur 9 December; 6:30 – 9:00 pm – Register here; Cost of $ 38.50 covers a meal and a drink
- Entree on Zoom – Tues 14 Dec; 7:00 – 8:30 pm – Register here; Cost is $ 5.50
Seeking members to join the consumer and carer advisory group
If you have personal experience as someone who has lived with mental health issues, or a carer for someone who has, and are passionate about advocating for mental health in our multicultural communities, apply to join the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Project.
As part of the national culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumer and carer group you will:
- provide insight into multicultural mental health, particularly the views and interests of diverse mental health consumers and carers
- offer solutions and strategies for improving the outcomes for all people who are living with mental health issues and their carers
- provide links to local multicultural communities
- review communication materials
- provide regular feedback improve the program
This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health to focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people from CALD backgrounds in Australia.
Members will be offered sitting fees for their participation in CALD Mental Health Consumer and Carer Group. All travel and accommodation expenses associated with attending meetings will be paid for by Mental Health Australia.
Applications close 11:45pm AEST 7 November 2021.
If you wish to know more, please visit: www.embracementalhealth.org.au
View the Terms of Reference and Frequently Asked Questions on our website for more information: https://fecca.org.au/volunteer/
Social Proscribing Program
COORDINARE PHN is funding Primary and Community Care Services (PCCS) to deliver a social prescribing program to support GPs and other services to link their patients to locally available support services and community based resources using a social prescribing approach.
Social prescribing is a model of care that involves Link Workers assessing and referring people with health and psychosocial needs to non-medical and community based services to address the things getting
in the way of health and wellbeing.
This program is provided at no cost to anyone over 18 years living in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region who:
- has or is at risk of developing, a long term health condition (including mental health), or
- is experiencing social isolation or loneliness, or
- needs practical help with issues that could significantly impact on their health and wellbeing like housing issues, food security, lack of access to aged care or disability supports, domestic violence, financial stresses, low physical activity or any other significant stressors.
Social Rx Link Workers (social workers) can assist people to find supports such as:
- Physical Activity Programs like walking groups, chair yoga, lawn bowling, Healthy Weight for Life
- Healthy Lifestyle/Food Programs like Meals on Wheels, food banks and cooking classes
- Social Programs & Services like art classes, book clubs, coffee clubs, knitting groups, community centres
- Support to Access Government Services like support with applications for the NDIS, MyAgedCare, NSW Housing and Centrelink
Illawarra Interagency 