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 The MH-CoPES Project |
MWCAG Inc. Is an organisation that provides a safe and supportive social environment for people living with a mental illness as a stepping stone to the community.
Phone :02 63607981
The O’Brien Centre was established in December 1998 through a partnership between consumers and the former Mid Western Area Health Service (MWAHS) to provide a safe environment where people with a mental illness have the opportunity to develop friendships, gain social and work skills, advocate for their issues and work to overcome stigma around mental illness. The former MWAHS donated land and several large sheds on the grounds of Bloomfield Hospital which MW CAG volunteers developed over the years creating a centre which could accommodate a extensive diverse range of activities and programs.
- The O’Brien Centre provides a means for people with a mental illness to develop skills, confidence and support networks to enable a smooth transmission for them into the community.
- It provides an avenue for people with a mental illness living in the community to undertake meaning work, educating themselves and Supporting others.
- It exemplifies the major development in mental health field recognising the growing understanding that even though mental illness is a serious life event, many people who have mental illnesses live full, meaningful and productive lives.
Who Runs It?
The O'Brien Centre is managed by Mid-Western Consumers Advisory Group Inc. (CAG)
in the
Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) Region.
Anyone who lives with a mental illness, carers of mentall health consumers, family or friends can become a member of M.W.Cag Inc.
If you are interested in finding out more about
M.W.Cag Inc. or you would like to join?
Contact us if you wish to become a member.
Background
Following its formation in 1993, the Mid Western Consumer Advisory Group Inc identified the need to provide a safe environment where people living with a mental illness would have the opportunity to develop friendships, gain social and work skills, advocate for mental health consumers, enhance partnerships with service providers and community members and overcome stigma.
The O’Brien Centre was officially opened on 8th April 1999 in the grounds of Bloomfield Hospital. A parcel of land, consisting of several large sheds, was allocated by the then Mid Western Mental Health Service. Consumer volunteers developed meeting, music, art and games rooms, a dining area, the tool shed, landscaped the gardens and developed an area suitable for weekly education sessions.
The Centre is opened every Thursday from 10.00am to 3.00pm and activities include creative writing, art lessons, gym, magnetic massage and networking with Bloomfield Allied Health Workers and other community service providers. There are approximately 1500 visitors to the Centre every year and they are drawn from Bloomfield Hospital and the Orange community as well as Parkes, Bathurst and Cowra.
The O’Brien Centre is unique, in New South Wales, as it is the only support group managed exclusively by consumers and carers. The management group (Mid Western Consumer Advisory Group Inc) have successfully advocated for the implementation of community consultant positions in the region and for increased rural representation on the New South Wales Consumer Advisory Group.
Management of the O’Brien Centre is based on the principles that people who are living with mental health issues have a:
- Right to a place to come
- Right to meaningful work
- Right to meaningful relationships
- Right to a place to return
VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATED BY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
NSW Health Volunteers’ Appreciation Day will be celebrated at the O’Brien Centre on the grounds of Bloomfield Hospital on Thursday 15th February. The Greater Western Area Mental Health Service is holding a ceremony to honour the volunteers who work tirelessly for the Mid Western Consumer Advisory Group (MW CAG Inc) and the O’Brien Centre. On the 13th February, the extraordinary work of the Bloomfield Hospital Auxiliary will also be acknowledged.
Mid Wester CAG is a unique volunteer organization, established in 1993. It is managed by volunteers, people who themselves have a mental illness who work to support others with a mental illness, encouraging people to gain confidence and live independently. They run social gatherings, supporting people to connect with others, make friends and have fun. They work to educate and raise community awareness of issues to impact on people with a mental illness.
These volunteers manage the O’Brien Centre which they and others before them established in 1999 to provide a safe environment where people with a mental illness have the opportunity to develop friendships, gain social and work skills, advocate for their issues and work to overcome stigma around mental illness. From humble beginnings: when the former Mid Western Area Health Service donated land and several large sheds on the grounds of Bloomfield Hospital, volunteers have developed the O’Brien Centre creating rooms for meetings, music, art and games, internet, dining area, gym, toolshed, landscaped gardens and an area used for weekly guest speakers and education sessions.
Last year over 1700 people came to the O’Brien Centre from Bloomfield, Orange, Parkes, Bathurst, Cowra and surrounding areas and participated in a range of activities such as the internet café, music, massage, creative writing, art, guest speakers and shared lunch together.
Meg Simpson, Coordinator of the Mental Health Promotion and Prevention Unit said `These volunteers are keen examples of the major development in the mental health field: The growing understanding that a diagnosis of mental illness is not a life sentence to an incurable condition that invariable will have only negative consequences for a person’s life. Until recently this was the view that was commonly held.
We now know that even though mental illness is undoubtedly a serious life event, many people who have experienced mental illness life full, meaningful and productive lives: some remain symptom free after their first episode, while others adapt to the symptoms that they recurrently experience.
Many, like the volunteers from Mid Western CAG and the O’Brien Centre use their experience to help others.
NSW Health Volunteers’ Appreciation Day is a wonderful opportunity for the Mental Health Service to acknowledge the great work done by volunteers and congratulate them for their enormous achievements.”
The O'Brien Centre is a club house supporting those living with a mental illness, "Run By Us for Us' with the help of volunteers.
The Thursday program includes:
10am - Morning Tea
10:30am - Bike Riding
11:30am - Gym
11:45am - Guest Speaker
12:45pm - Lunch
The O'Brien Centre provides opportunities to renew old and make new friendships.
Thursday 9am - 2pm
O'Brien Centre is a dedicated place for consumers (That is people living with a mental Illness), their carers, family and friends to meet and socialise.
We are open to the community on Thursday and other sellected days.
@
Speaking out
This strategic plan for The O’Brien Centre and MWCAG has been developed in recognition of the values identified by Mid Western Consumer Advisory Group Inc focus group participants.
“We get freedom and we get friendship. We know each others pain.”
“It’s a nice environment with friendly people. There’s no discrimination and everyone’s treated equally.”
“It’s so good because there is no discrimination and that’s so important.”
“We all focus on wellbeing.”
“Its great to get down here because we are responsible for ourself. We make our own decisions and choices. As well as that it breaks up the week and the day.”
“I like it because there are no interruptions when I’m doing my activities.”
“It’s very much a social event but it helps us in society. We can walk around and talk to people and we are all at the same level here. It helps because after we have been here we can talk to other people in the community. Its like a practice run.”
“I like playing a bit of music and the contact with the community.”
“Well I like Jenny and Garry and the food.”
“Its away from the Hospital and the nurses and the doctors and the social workers. We have some freedom and no restrictions and it feels good.”
“Thursdays give us the opportunity to get our self esteem back. It gives us the ability to work on your activities and it gives us something to use as a stepping stone back into the world.”
“I think the O’Brien Centre, well, it gives you time out to be yourself if you need time out.”
“CAG gives us the chance to represent the whole community.”
“Everyone has a lot in common. We understand.”
“You know what it does, it gives us choices and it makes people empowered, emotionally empowered.”
“When you come here no-one judges you. Its non-judgemental.”
“The social days with the other areas are really important, especially the trips away. Sometimes it makes it easier to get back into the community. We have fun and we help each other.”
My name is Jenny Coleman I’m a consumer consultant based in
I filled the criteria for the job as I am a consumer of Mental Health Services. I’m now working sixteen hours a week for nine years and have lived with bi-polar for well over twenty five years.
My office is at the Curran Centre Community Mental Health, I work in the community also
The Obrien Centre is a really special place for me as I can talk, involve, inform consumers and careers in numbers or one on one. I can chat to consumers who come down from the wards at
The Obrien Centre opened in 1998 it was initially started just to have a permanent venue for the MWCag Inc to meet monthly and make cement furniture (which we still do). It didn’t take long to realize that people needed support, friendship, advocacy, education and also no conditional, no stigma or judgment.
The department of health has informed the MWCag Inc executive that they intend to sell off the Obrien Centre and surrounding area to private enterprise. This is to raise money for the new
The Mid West Consumer Advisory Group (MWCag Inc) a local volunteer consumer and career support group runs the Obrien Centre, they sponsor consumer and careers through consumer consultants, trips away, social days the concept of having a clubhouse in each outlying areas. MWCag Ine executive committee supporting each other and the wider community.
Brian Duff
Phone: 02 63 41 2386
Fax: 02 63 41 4149
Linda Plicha
Consumer Consultant
Bathurst NSW 2795
Ph No 63326822. .
Fax No is 63325780
At Warilda House in Bathurst