Category: Arafmi Staff

“I’m actually on your team.” Meet Sue, supporting mental health carers on the Sunshine Coast.  “The person that you care for has a whole team of people around them, but I’m actually on your team.” It’s a sentence Sue comes back to often because she’s seen what happens when a carer hears it for the first time. Every day at the Sunshine Coast Carer Gateway Hub, people caring for a family member, partner or friend living with mental health challenges walk through the door looking for support. For Sue, it often starts with something simple: a smile, a cup of tea and a place to sit. Ask Sue what she loves most about her work, and her answer isn’t what you’d expect. It’s seeing the moment someone realises they don’t have to carry it all on their own. “It probably comes right back down to the look on somebody’s face when they realise that they’ve got somebody on their side and that they can be whoever they want to be. And we’re not going to judge them, we’re just going to try and support them the best way we can.” Putting carers back at the centre Most people walk through

Support where it didn’t exist before Meet Carol, supporting mental health carers in Townsville When Carol Sheeren sits down with a carer for the first time, she notices the same moment. “You can actually see it… they relax and just exhale.” She calls it “the great exhale”, that instant when someone realises they finally have space just for them, and someone who will listen without judgement. Carol is Arafmi’s Carer Gateway Carer Facilitator in Townsville. Since starting last August, she’s been quietly building connections, supporting carers one-on-one, linking them with resources, and offering support where it hasn’t always been available. Her work is part of Arafmi’s partnership with Wellways Carer Gateway, bringing support into regional and remote communities. Meeting carers where they are Without a dedicated hub in Townsville, Carol meets carers where they feel most comfortable, a park, a café, or a quiet space away from home. She also spends one day a week at the Medicare Mental Health Centre, where she meets carers and connects them with other supports. That choice gives carers a chance to step out of their role, even briefly, and focus on themselves. “People often need that first… just to feel supported before they’re