LMMHS CARER SUPPORT AND EDUCATION NETWORK

Ms JODIE HARRISON(Charlestown)This National Carers Week, I would like to acknowledge the Lake Macquarie Mental Health Service Carer Support and Education, which is group to support families, carers and kinship carers of people experiencing a mental illness. Facilitated by a Senior Social Worker at LakeMacquarie Mental Health Service, the group offers psycho-education, support, understanding and an opportunity for carers to share their collective experiences together. Every month the group has an educational focus and commences with facilitated group sharing. It is held at the LMMHS facility on Dudley Road in Charlestown. This sort of service is so important for carers, as they report high levels of isolation and disconnection from the broader community. Mental illness is a major issue in our community and supporting a loved one through it can be draining. I would like to thank the hard-working staff at LMMHS for facilitating this vital service and providing ongoing mental health education and support for carers in our local community.

A Community Recognition Statement is an opportunity for an MP to give a short speech praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Statement, please email and let me know!