Brianna McKnight has been a young carer herself, so she understands the challenges young carers often face.
Brianna is the Project Lead of Mind’s Young Carers Support program. It supports young people aged 15-25 in metropolitan Melbourne who are caring for a family member or friend living with mental health challenges. Brianna and her team support young carers to maintain their own wellbeing while managing their caring responsibilities. In Australia, approximately one in 20 young people identify as being a young carer.
Brianna has a Masters of Counselling and provides counselling and other one-to-one support for some of the 60 young people who are currently accessing the program.
“I was a young carer for my Mum and a young carer support worker was an enormous help to me back then, so its full circle now that I am in the support role myself,” she said.
The program supports young carers in four different ways:
- Counselling – one on one support via phone, zoom or face to face according the the carer’s needs
- Brokerage – it can provide some financial assistance to young carers for key things like schoolbooks and driving lessons
- Respite – it pays for young carers to stay in a hotel for a few nights as a chance to have a few days break from their carer responsibilities.
- Group activities – eg movie and bowling groups – help young carers to connect and make new friendships.
Brianna said that a lot of young carers are very socially isolated and that the opportunity to relax with other young carers can have a very positive impact.
“They’re often so time-poor because of their caring roles, which means they miss out on the same social and recreational opportunities that other young people their age usually have.”
“When they get a chance to go out and do something fun – and mix with other people – it makes them more open to engage with the outside world,” she said.
“I notice a huge difference in confidence and self esteem in young carers after they have been in the group for a while. It’s fantastic to see. They are more willing to engage with the world feel more connected and have more of a drive to succeed in their goals and ambitions.”
Brianna said the Young Carer Support program is planning group activities over the school holidays.
“We’ll be holding group activities like ice skating and ten pin bowling. And we hope to hold more interactive groups with psychoeducation in the future.”
For referrals or more information about Young Carer Support Program, contact Brianna at [email protected] or on 0497 330 774, or Mind Connect at [email protected] or on 1300 286 463.