Mental health education key to recovery at Mackay Mental Health Hub

Understanding mental health can help individuals develop a greater sense of control over their own mental wellbeing and is a key focus of selectability Mackay Mental Health Hubs structured program.

Also known as ‘psychoeducation’ – developing an awareness around mental health conditions can help us to understand why we feel a certain way, the thoughts we may have or our behaviours.

As Care Navigator Stacy Irwin tells us the Hub’s program is designed to promote understanding while   addressing the individual needs of consumers to “provide a person-centred, strengths-based, flexible service.”

“Insight into mental health concerns can often remove some of the fear and self-stigma people may be experiencing and it can also help to build resilience,” said Stacy.  “Taking into account that recovery is different for each and every consumer, the Mental Health Hub has developed a group support timetable to suit the needs of many.

“We take the time to engage with our consumers and design group activities based around their feedback and develop new programs regularly to meet their needs as they understand them.”

Just recently this has seen the Mental Health Hub include five new programs to their monthly timetable – The Sewing Nook, Tech Connections; Wellness workshops, Rhythm to Recovery and Book Worms..

The focus is on the psychosocial aspects of mental health maintenance and recovery rather than clinical supports, which provides consumers an alternative means to work on their own mental wellbeing.

“We have a strong focus on psychoeducation, community connection and resilience building while also promoting social inclusion and healthy relationships.”

There are so many benefits to group support programs, including developing a better understanding of your mental illness, learning tools and techniques to manage symptoms and stressors and the impact that they can have.

Stacy notes that personally she believes the biggest benefit of the Mental Health Hub programs is the resilience building it teaches consumers.

“Having good resilience is being able to cope with stress in a positive and healthy way.

“Our consumers are provided with education around self-awareness, mindfulness, self-care, positive relationship building and supported to identify a sense of purpose.”

 “All of these feed into resilience and it is really rewarding for the Mental Health Hub staff to be able to support people in our community to develop and understand resilience.”

After seeing an increase in demand recently for psychoeducational workshops, Stacy says the importance of these workshops is to provide “consumers with knowledge”.

“Once there is an understanding about what is happening we can then develop a greater sense of control of our own mental wellbeing.”

In saying that though Stacy is very aware that often people experiencing times of mentally ill health find it quite daunting to come along to group activities.

“The first step is usually the hardest and here at the Mental Health Hub we understand that. From the moment you walk in the door our team will support you to work at a pace that is comfortable with you.

“And remember you are not alone…you are always welcome and we will be so very happy to meet you and support you in your recovery journey.”

The Mental Health Hub has an open door policy for those in the community who are looking to seek mental health and wellbeing supports.

Our Mental Health Hubs are safe, non-judgemental places where people can come together, there are no referrals required and everyone is always welcome to walk in and have a chat.