Assistance for Carers

Meeting Notes, August 2021

Skylight and Carers SA outlined the assistance available to carers of people living with borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Speaker: Laura Varley, Coordinator for Carer Services
Skylight Mental Health

Contact (08) 8378 4100
Website skylight.org.au/carer-services

Skylight Services for Carers:

1. Group work – in metro and country areas, around specialised areas of concern, and more casual, peer supported sessions.
2. Counselling – face to face sessions at Wayville and soon at Christies Beach. 6 free sessions (more if needed) for carers to address any concerns they may have. The counsellors are fully trained counsellors specialising in mental health. Some have lived experience.
3. Coaching – free carer-driven sessions with a coach, to support the carer. Examples: coping with overwhelm, how to navigate services, help with an NDIS application for the person you care for, help in achieving a goal such as finding stable accommodation for the person you care for, or how to set and keep limits.

Click here for Skylight’s Flyer

How to access Skylight’s services

Skylight has a partnership arrangement with Carers SA. You can contact either Skylight or Carers SA. The next step is for Carers SA to do an assessment with the carer after which the carer is referred to Skylight for a service.

Other information from Skylight

• You can access more than one type of service. The services are for SA carers however Carers SA can refer to interstate services.
• Skylight will never turn a carer away, regardless of whether they come via Carers SA or not.
• Skylight also offers activities and services for the person you care for e.g. yoga, music, cooking, respite and others.

Speaker: Stephen Wales
Community Engagement Officer
Carers SA

Contact 1800 422 737 (24 h/d someone always available).
Website carerssa.com.au

Stephen is a carer, with a broad knowledge of BPD.

Many carers do not see themselves as carers. There are 2.5-2.6m unpaid carers in Australia, probably more due to under-reporting. Carers in SA are as young as 7 years of age.
Click here for more about SA carers from the National Carer Survey 2020

Carers SA is Commonwealth funded. Staff are located across SA.

Click here for Carers SA Brochure

Carers SA Services – 5 areas

1. Coaching – Flyer
Free carer-driven sessions with a coach, to support the carer. Examples: coping with overwhelm, how to navigate services, help with an NDIS application for the person you care for, help in achieving a goal such as finding stable accommodation for the person you care for, or how to set and keep limits.
2. Counselling – Flyer
Carers SA have their own counsellors and also broker with other services (such as Skylight)
The team includes a counsellor who understands BPD well.
3. Peer Support, like Sanctuary Support Group – Flyer
Sanctuary is a Peer Support Group.  Carers SA and Skylight will provide financial support to Sanctuary if registered carers attend meetings.
4. Carer packages – Flyer
Specialised support for young carers
Practical and financial help – point in time (not ongoing), can include house cleaning, gardening, one-off purchases for essential items (e.g. school uniforms, whitegoods)
5. Respite – Flyer
For carers – planned and emergency. Can be in the home or somewhere else.

Other information from Carers SA

• You do not have to live with person to be a carer. Carers – broad remit – disability, mental health, dementia, terminal illness, chronic conditions, frail and old
• Inclusive – carers are screened in, not out.
• Carers may qualify for Carer Payment or Carer Allowance – Click here for more information.
You do not need to be eligible for either of these to access Carers SA services.
• People in foster or kinship roles are eligible for Carers SA services.
• The assessment process may take 30-40 minutes and can be done at a time that suits the carer, including after hours. Can be face-face or online. It is designed to tailor services to the needs of the carer. The carer is the expert in what they need.
• There are waiting lists for some services.
• There are specialised staff to help people from diverse backgrounds.

Speaker: Karen Bailey
Member of Sanctuary’s Committee.

Karen registered with Carers SA and has accessed Skylight services. She explained the assessment process, which determines the carer’s level of need. Karen found the services she was offered and used (cleaning, gardening, counselling with Skylight) very worthwhile particularly the counselling, which helped her work through strategies such as establishing and maintaining her personal boundaries in relation to the person for whom she cares.

Coaching can be about more than your caring role e.g. work, study, and personal interests.

Karen recommends registering with Carers SA. Even if you do not need or use services straight away, if you suddenly need a service such as respite care, they have all your information at hand, and the process is much quicker and simpler.