Haven Pakenham resident Darren says being surrounded by a supportive community of residents and staff has helped him navigate his mum’s passing.
The 44-year-old moved into Haven Pakenham in November 2023 after his mother passed away. Until then, Darren had been living with his mum, who was also his primary carer.
“For the first time since Mum died, I feel like I’m part of a community. I don’t know where I would be today without the support from the staff members,” he said.
“The community at Haven Pakenham is great; before I came here I only had my family, but here it’s different because you are around people like you. You get along because they understand what you’re going through - there’s still stigma and misunderstanding around mental health in the general public.”
Haven residences provide safe, secure and long-term housing for people experiencing mental health challenges, with support from qualified and experienced mental health practitioners from Mind Australia.
Darren says having staff support available 24/7 had helped him on his recovery journey and to “grow as a person”.
“At home when I needed help Mum didn’t necessarily understand what I was going through or know how to help,” he said.
“I was worried about having a panic attack or feeling unwell, but here [at Haven Pakenham] you know that if you have a panic attack there is support there, which eases your mind. Out there you can’t schedule your disabilities for when you have access to a support worker, so having support available 24 hours a day is amazing.
“The staff have helped me do things that I never thought I would ever do. I now live a much healthier life, I’m more confident as a person and they have helped me with my disability.”
Darren says his favourite aspect of living at a Haven residence is the weekly games group and socialising with other people.
If you would like more information about Mind services, contact us by submitting a form via Mind Connect or phone: 1300 286 463.
If this article raises concerns for you, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islanders can also call 13 YARN (13 92 76) a 24/7 national crisis support telephone service staffed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
If you would like more information, please contact us.
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Having meaningful and productive conversations with young people can be challenging, especially when trying to discuss their mental health and what’s going on in their lives.
“We need more places that support mental health and housing, and we need to keep the NDIS. The NDIS has changed my life; every day I wake up happy, I’ve got a very good support worker and my life is going well now.”
This is Andrea’s message for Homelessness Week 2025 – a time to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness and the solutions needed to end homelessness.
