For nearly 10 years, Liza Staios has been the warm voice at the other end of the line when Victorians call the National Carer Helpline.
Mind Australia has hosted the National Carer Helpline on behalf of Mental Health Carers Australia (MHCA) for even longer, but this service is coming to a close. Being the voice on the other end of the phone for carers has been a labour of love for Liza.
“Some people I have supported from the start still call up now, even after 10 years,” she said.
“They don’t call all the time, but I know their stories and they don’t have to repeat them. I’ve watched them evolve, grow and accept – I’m privileged to be in someone’s life, and for someone to share that part of their life with me.
“When someone rings the helpline they feel understood and supported.”
Liza is understandably emotional that she and her team of volunteers will no longer be her answering the calls of mental health carers, but, with Mind, she will continue to provide vital support for family members and carers through a range of programs.
These include the Family and Carer Respite Services (available in Bayside, north-west, south-west and north-east Melbourne), and the Young Carer Program. These programs provide respite breaks (four day, overnight and day-trip respite packages) and group activities (such as movie group, coffee group and cooking group) for family members and carers of people experiencing mental health challenges.
Liza, who has a lived experience of being a carer, says she has witnessed some progress in the way the mental health system recognises and supports carers in recent years. In Victoria, the most significant change has been the establishment of Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect Centres – a lived experience-led support for family members, carers, kin and supporters of people with mental health and/or substance use challenges.
Mind is the lead organisation for two of these Connect centres in Ballarat and the Wimmera (Grampians Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect) and in Bendigo and Mildura (Loddon Mallee Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect), that are delivered in partnership with Mallee Family Care, Grampians Community Health, and Ballarat Community Health.
“Connect centres are a long time coming. People need a place that they can go or call-up where they feel accepted and acknowledged for what they do. They normalise the caring role and what it’s like to be a carer… at Connect it’s especially built for them.”
As the national peak body, MHCA has decided to focus its efforts on systemic advocacy, ensuring the voice of families, carers and kin are heard in national mental health policy, reform, and funding decisions.
The 1300 number will be transferred to Arafmi Queensland from Tuesday 1 July, and the service will only be available to people in Queensland after that time.
Family and carers who are seeking support from Mind can contact Mind Connect on 1300 286 463, or email [email protected].