ARCVic Support Group & Branch Reports 2005
Inner East Support Group
Coordinator - John Geros
Facilitators & Assistants - John, Paul, Penelope, Marnie, Poppy, Terry.
The Inner East Support Group meets at the Hawthorn Peppercorn Club on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7.30pm. The support group generally runs a new people’s group and a mutual support and self-help group for the people who regularly attend. The third Thursday is usually conducted as an open forum session.
During this year we saw the departure of one of our facilitators - Terry Lack. Terry was a facilitator at both the Inner East (Hawthorn) and the South East (Bentleigh) Support Groups over the past several years. Terry also gave of his time to share his own experiences of recovery from OCD at ARCVic Recovery Stories Seminars and provided personal support to many of the members of the Support Groups. The Committee of Management, staff and volunteers at ARCVic would like to thank Terry for his dedicated commitment and contribution to our support groups.
Family & Friends Support Group
This support group is convened by Bruce Hannan and meets on the first Thursday of each month, 7.30 pm, at the Peppercorn Club in Hawthorn.
South East Support Group
Edwin Belfield, Coordinator
The South East Support Group meets at the Bentleigh Bayside Community Health Centre, Gardners Road, East Bentleigh on the second Monday of each month, except on public holidays when the meeting is held on the Tuesday night. The meeting starts at 7.30 pm till 9.30 pm when we break for coffee and chat.
Our group provides a supportive, caring and confidential place for sufferers and carers to talk about their problems, learn skills to help their recovery – such as different relaxation methods, basic cognitive behavioural therapy, building their confidence and self-esteem, networking with other sufferers etc. We have an attendance of between 10 to 18 people each month.
Our group has been very fortunate to have Psychologist, Dianne Anton, as one of our facilitators over the past three years. I would like to sincerely thank Dianne for volunteering her time and for her wonderful help and dedication and caring she brings to the group.
Hot off the Press, as of 10th October we will have a Tai Chi instructor joining us on a regular basis for those of us who would like to learn the art of relaxation through Tai Chi. Merry Christmas to all.
Moonee Valley Anxiety & Depression Support Group
Diana Maud,Coordinator/Facilitator
The Mooney Valley Anxiety and Depression support group meets at 7.30 pm on the 4th Thursday of each month, at the Ascot Vale Neighbourhood Centre on the corner of Munro Street and Union Road, Ascot Vale. I have been facilitating this small but growing group since March this year. Andy Prodromidis, team leader of the Inner West Primary Mental Health Team, and Group Coordinator returned to his role as facilitator at the start of the year and began reviving the group, as the numbers were down somewhat. I was extremely fortunate to have Andy’s help in learning some important skills for taking over the role as facilitator, and would like to thank Andy for his on-going support.
In the past few months the group has really begun to pick up, with numbers increasing steadily. At the moment we generally have between 6 and 7 members, with new people coming each month. We also have a core of regular attendees which is great. They have recently been making valuable contributions to the group, including gathering interesting and valuable information to share with other members. What has particularly affected me about the group is how they always welcome new members with warmth and generosity, and make an effort to include each other in discussions.
Although the group is small, the feeling is very positive at the moment and we hope it will continue to grow and develop. In particular, several members have expressed a desire to organise a social outing. This could be a great way for members to get to know each other and socialise in a comfortable and supportive environment, and will give us a focus for the coming months.
Emerald Support Group
Dianne Legge, Coordinator
Emerald Anxiety Disorders Support Group runs regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays each month. The Group has an average of ten people attending meetings. Programs for the Group have included ‘Caring and Sharing, social outings and guest speakers. Thanks to the Emerald Salvation Army Corps for continuing to support the Group by the generous provision of accommodation at no charge. The Group looks forward to another successful year and wishes everyone the best for the coming season and good health.
Albury-Wodonga Support Group
Wendy Malcolm, Coordinator
Our group meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7.30 pm. Meetings have no particular finishing time but usually last at least two hours. Average attendance during the year has been 14 people. Meetings run to a usual format with reading of the support group creed and mission statement, followed by relevant business which is discussed and information pertinent to the group is passed on. New members are welcomed and if a guest speaker is present, he/she is introduced and their presentation is begun. There is question time after the talk (and usually during the talk too). If a guest speaker is not present, there is caring and sharing for those who wish to tell their story. We have a short coffee break before further discussion. The evening ends with refreshments and cake/biscuits and informal chatting. The venue at Trudewind Road Neighbourhood House has proved to be quite appropriate and comfortable, and the fees are very affordable. Our library is able to be housed in a lock-up room and is very secure.
Members seem to gain strength and hope from the group and one member has stated that she gets more from the group than she gets from health professionals.
During the year we had talks from Dr Penny Egan-Vine, Grief Counsellor/Doctor; Dr Stuart Wild, Psychiatrist; Ms Anne Mills, Reflexologist; and Mr Brian Winnett, TAFE Co-ordinator. Each spoke on their particular field of expertise and were very well received. Our thanks go to each of them for their input into the group sessions. Thanks also go to Janelle who helped as a co-ordinator until she left in February to further her Psychology studies at Deakin University.
In partnership with the group, Wodonga Regional Health Service is going to run a group for 8 participants on CBT and Anxiety Management/Well Being. Our thanks go to Mr Peter Collicoat for facilitating these sessions.
During the year, Wendy has made many home visits to isolated people or met with people for a cuppa and chat to try to help with their anxieties. There also have been many, many phone calls from sufferers unable to attend meetings. Thanks to all who come to the meetings and make the group work. A special mention to Garry who, when possible, drives 200kms to attend the group. We have had a few social gatherings during the year and with the onset of longer days and warmer weather, we will be organising more BBQ’s and other functions over the coming months.
Our thanks go to ARCVic and the staff for their continued support, and to all other groups, our best wishes for the future.
Latrobe Valley Support Group
Catherine Ashford, Coordinator & Pearl, Facilitator
The Moe-Narracan anxiety support group is held at the Latrobe Valley Community Health Service in Moe. Group meetings run for 2 hours on a Monday morning once a fortnight, with, on average, six people in attendance. During each group session, individuals are able to share their personal experiences of living with an anxiety disorder, and support each other by sharing helpful ideas to improve their coping abilities. Group facilitators and other members provide information on local and metropolitan programs, services, and resources available to group members. The group continues to maintain a library of resources for members to access. The coordinator, Catherine Ashford has also made a valuable contribution to the group by initiating activities focusing on increasing self-awareness of individual’s experiences of anxiety, and introducing anxiety management strategies.
Social Anxiety Support Group
Jessica Bernales, Coordinator
The Social Anxiety Support Group meets on the last Monday of the month at 7.30pm, in the Community Meeting Room at Ashburton Library. The Support Group aims to provide people living with Social Anxiety Disorder, their family and friends a safe and confidential setting to meet with others who share similar experiences. The group meetings aim to provide support that will be helpful to individuals with their recovery by facilitating an increased understanding of their social anxiety, treatment options, applying self-help strategies and ideas, developing social connections and participating in social activities. Thank you to Fiona Cuthbert for her continued commitment to assisting with the facilitation of the support group over the past year. Thank you also to Michelle Puttick (Psychology Placement Student) who joined us during this year to assist with facilitation and providing educational sessions based on self help topics relevant to people living with social anxiety disorder.