Macleay Island organisation leads the way on child mental health
An inspirational organisation in the heart of Macleay Island has been named the state’s best at aiding the mental wellness of children in their early years.
Redlands Coast
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AN inspirational organisation in the heart of Macleay Island has been named the state’s best at aiding the mental wellness of children in their early years.
Curlew Cove Children and Family Place (CFP) has been named winner of the 2019 Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards in the Early Childhood category.
The organisation has been acknowledged for providing support to children 0 to 8 years and their families, on isolated islands.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARDS HIGHLIGHT LIFE CHANGING WORK
The CFP provides free transport, peer-mentoring and parenting support, providing a safe haven for community in the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
Amy Fernando, community listener and co-ordinator at CFP, said staff were “humbled” to be acknowledged for their work supporting families.
“Thank you to the children and families we work with, inspiring us to continue our work everyday.”
Ms Fernando said shifting the stigma around mental illness was a large part of the work as well as providing an opportunity for more and more people to share their “lived experience” in a safe place without judgment.
Listening to more than 1000 voices sharing stories across the Southern Moreton Bay Island network, Ms Fernando said there was still much to do but “limited resources and capacity to do so”.
She said one of the greatest outcomes so far was seeing more acceptance of the “huge impact that trauma has not only on those directly impacted but also those living with them (children)”.
“Seeing families connecting with their children, friends and their community is so beautiful to see,” she said.
“Isolation is a huge issue on the Islands, particularly for young mums so to be able to provide them with an opportunity to get out and be with other families is essential to their mental health.”
She said the close-knit communities on the islands meant sometimes people could be apprehensive about seeking help but the Curlew Cove Children and Family place provided a “soft-entry”, supported by trained professionals.
Paula Mayson, CEO of Open Minds, the organisation behind the awards, said entries for the awards had been on an incredibly high calibre.
“It’s a great way to acknowledge those working so hard to really make a difference in the lives of those with mental illness, congratulation to the winners and finalists of 2019,” she said.
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