By Mikayla van Loon
Caring for someone with autism can be an overwhelming and sometimes exhausting task but often people in this position are unaware of the supports available to them.
That’s why Different Journeys executive officer Mel Spencer has established the ‘Carers Cuppa’ sessions at Lilydale’s Box Hill Institute cafe to help carers connect in with the right services.
Not only are these meet and greet sessions about linking people with support, with both Box Hill Institute and Jobs Victoria on board, Ms Spencer wants to encourage carers to get back into education or the workforce.
“It’s about reframing and changing opportunities for carers to get back into the workforce or education should they wish,” she said.
“That’s where this partnership becomes really good because no one can do it alone. We are all carers that have walked the journey so we understand. We also often give carers permission for the first time to receive help.”
Ms Spencer said it can be a common misconception that carers are able to do only that, care for others, but when made aware of what is available to them, it can reignite their own passions.
“It’s all about empowerment of the carer. It’s actually about giving the carer back some choice and control for themselves.
“Because we’re often too busy, we’re busy focusing on the person we’re caring for, not actually ourselves.
“So it’s working out what is it you would like to do? What’s your dream? How do you learn for that? And that can be really liberating but it can be scary.”
In just the second session on Thursday 28 July, Different Journeys was able to help two people begin the path to finding their own purpose in life.
“I’ve realised that I can get someone to speak for me or get someone to advocate for me which I had no idea about,” one carer said.
“I just thought the onus is on the carer, the onus is on you and that is what gets overwhelming and makes you just sit there and not go out and look for anything.
“I’ve found that the more people you meet and speak with, the more clarity you have over everything, people give you ideas. It’s invaluable really.”
Getting carers back into the workforce is something Ms Spencer said has come as a big push from the State government, to ensure carers will be able to support themselves come retirement.
“If you look at the data, when it comes time for retirement age, carers that haven’t been able to work suddenly have no money because there’s no superannuation. So they really rely on [the government] and they’re living on the poverty line,” she said.
Members from Jobs Victoria and Box Hill’s Jobs and Skills team can help someone simply write a resume and reframe their experience as a carer for the workforce or link them into courses in their desired field.
Come once or come weekly for a free coffee and discuss what a journey back to work or education may look like with Different Journeys peer support workers.
The Carers Cuppa sessions are running every Thursday morning at the Point of View Cafe at Box Hill Institute’s Lilydale Lakeside Campus from 9.30am to 11am until December.
