Darwin Update in August: What Has Been Happening at MIFANT
From a tray of cupcakes with a question piped on top in chocolate, to a deck overlooking the water at Crab Claw Island, to a canvas at MiPlace Hub slowly filling with a pink flamingo and a beach that stretches edge to edge, it has been a full few weeks in Darwin. Here is what our participants have been up to.
R U OK? Day
Our participants baked these for R U OK? Day last week, with the question piped on top in chocolate.
Asking someone if they are okay can feel awkward. Most of us worry about saying the wrong thing, or not knowing what to do with the answer. You do not need to fix anything. Sit with them, listen, and check back in a few days later.
What Has Been Happening at MiPlace Hub
Art at the Hub. One of our participants finished a new painting this month: a pink flamingo standing on the sand beside a flower, with a beach backdrop running the full width of the canvas. Other easels around the room held a sunset beach scene with a VW van and a frilled-neck lizard set against an NT landscape. The weekly art session takes a few hours of steady focus, and finishing a piece is something participants can point to and be proud of. That sense of accomplishment, and the routine of turning up each week, is a big part of why the session matters.
The art session is part of the regular weekly MiPlace program, which runs Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 1:00pm at 2/273 Bagot Road, Coconut Grove. If you or someone you know would like to come along and see what MiPlace Hub is about, we would love to hear from you.
Cool Program Update
Getting out of the house regularly sounds simple. When motivation is low or a routine has narrowed down to the same four walls, it can be the hardest thing to do on your own. The Cool Program exists for exactly that reason, and August was a busy month.
Crab Claw Island. Our Cool Program participants headed out to Crab Claw Island for a day away from the city. The group shared a meal on the deck overlooking the water and spent the afternoon together away from the usual routine. Crab Claw Island feels a world away from Darwin, even though it is only about 15 kilometres down the road.
East Point Reserve. On a Tuesday afternoon the group walked the Mangrove Boardwalk at East Point Reserve, an easy trail along Darwin Harbour with views across the water and plenty of fresh harbour air.
Territory Wildlife Park and Howard Springs Nature Park. Two more outings rounded out the month. At the Territory Wildlife Park the group followed the walking tracks through the bush and took in the aquarium. At Howard Springs Nature Park it was a shady bushwalk through the monsoon forest and a stroll along the weir above the spring-fed pool.
Getting out regularly, moving your body, visiting new places, and spending time with others all support mental health recovery. That is what the Cool Program is built around, and it is one of the simplest forms of mental health support in Darwin we offer.
The Cool Program runs every Tuesday afternoon and every second Saturday, and we look forward to a full calendar of outings through September.
Joining a Program
If you are supporting a client who is looking for psychosocial support in Darwin, both MiPlace Hub and the Cool Program can be accessed through a referral or a self-referral at www.mifant.org.au/referrals. Our team can also walk you through what the NDIS pathway looks like at www.mifant.org.au/ndis.
Want to know more? Drop by MiPlace Hub at 2/273 Bagot Road, Coconut Grove, or visit www.mifant.org.au. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 1pm.
If you or someone you know needs mental health support, please contact the NT Mental Health Line on 1800 682 288 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Comments