The Schizophrenia Fellowship of Queensland Gold Coast Branch provides services and support for people living with schizophrenia and other serious mental illness, and their family members. An outline of the support services available to clients and familiy memebers is detailed below. If you wish to find out more about any of the services or for further assistance please contact the staff at the Schizophrenia Fellowship on (07) 5591 6490.

Harmony Lifestyle Support Service
Harmony provides lifestyle support for people who:

• are over the age of 18 years
• have a primary diagnosis of a major mental illness
• and require lifestyle support to enable them to live independently in the community in the accommodation of their choice.

Support is provided on an individual basis and responds to the assessed needs of each client. When support is provided the client and the Support Worker collaborate to develop a flexible support plan designed to meet the client’s individual goals. The types of support provided may include assistance with shopping and budgeting, dealing with other agencies such as Centrelink or Employment Support, assisting clients to maintain general health and to establish social networks.

Tekapo Accommodation Support Service
Tekapo Accommodation Support Service provides two types of supported accommodation. The transitional component is for people with medium to low support needs and the long-term component for people with longer term needs.
The service is for people who:

• are over the age of 18 years
• have a primary diagnosis of a major mental illness
• have medium to low support needs to access the transitional accommodation and lifestyle support
• have continuing needs to access the long-term accommodation and lifestyle support.

The service is provided through community rental properties. Individual lifestyle support is provided to assist residents in the development of daily living skills with a view to their eventual integration into the community in the accommodation of their choice.
Tekapo does not provide emergency or respite accommodation.

The Federation Clubhouse
The Federation Clubhouse provides a psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation program for people with a mental illness. Members and staff work alongside each other in running the structured daily program which is balanced with social and recreational activities. Through their involvement clubhouse members gain a strong sense of teamwork and ownership of the Clubhouse and develop valuable life and vocational skills.

Personal Helpers and Mentor Service (PHaMs)
PHaMs is a new program providing one-on-one support, similar to the Harmony Support Service. The program assumes a strengths-based, recovery approach in supporting people who are living with a mental illness. The service assists clients to establish community networks and supports them in linking back into the general community. Referrals may be made for people who are aged 16 years and over.

Carer Support Network
Provides information and support to families and friends who are caring for someone living with a mental illness. The carer support service provides free carer support packs and also invites carers to attend the carer support meetings which are run by carers. These are held monthly at Elanora and Southport on the Gold Coast and are also attended by the Family and Carer Project Officer from the Gold Coast Hospital who is there to offer further support and available to answer any clinical questions that carers may have. Carers are also invited to attend educational workshops that are provided throughout the year.

Sense of Self Program
The Sense of Self Workshop is all about self discovery. The program takes the focus off the mental illness and encourages and empowers participants to discover who they are, whilst developing a strong sense of self.

Information / Referral Service
Mental Health brochures and information on the Fellowship’s services are available through the office from 9.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday. The Fellowship also provides sources of information for referrals to other mental health services. Information can be mailed out upon request.

Resource Library
The Fellowship has a selection of books, journals, videos and DVD’s designed to assist people with a mental illness, their families and friends to understand and cope with the impact of mental illness in their lives. The Library is open during normal office hours and resources are available for loan to members of the Fellowship.