Cheryl Jameson

My role at PARCS is supporting clients in Psycho-social rehabilitation, it is intensive, short-term recovery centred and client focused work.

The role involves setting a recovery plan with clients and supporting them to achieve personal goals to aide their recovery.

Often this will be work around improving their activities of daily living and resocialization.

An important part is also referring them to ongoing support services in the community on return home.

• Reduced patient anxiety through active listening, problem-solving, and crisis intervention techniques.
• Encouraged self-care among patients by teaching coping strategies, stress management techniques, and relaxation exercises.
• Liaised between clinical staff and community organizations to coordinate care for patients transitioning from hospitalization back into the community setting.

• The carer respite service at Ermha focused on both group and individual support for carers in the local area.

• We offered individual emotional and 1:1 support .Focusing on the carers own recovery ,goals and well being and linkages to other ongoing services to support ongoing wellbeing.
• Carer Advocacy was a large part of this role.
• We also offered weekly groups for socialising, wellbeing and fun to help to ease the social isolation of the caring role and offer opportunities for peers to meet and develop new friendships.
• Education sessions were also offered, focusing on themes such as future planning, personal boundaries and health and wellbeing

• My role at PARCS is supporting clients in Psycho-social rehabilitation, it is intensive, short-term recovery centred and client focused work
• The role involves setting a recovery plan with clients and supporting them to achieve personal goals to aide their recovery
• Often this will be work around improving their activities of daily living and re socialization
• An important part is also referring them to appropriate support services in the community on return home

• Company Overview: Psychiatry
• I was employed in the role of Carer Consultant at Alfred psychiatry for two years
• The role was focusing on using my lived experience as a carer to my son with schizophrenia
• And to then bring this experience and focal point of being a carer and service user to the clinical service, to help redesign a service that was welcoming to all
• A large part of this role was education and advocacy and direct carer support
• I believe that the role was a bridge between the service, the families and carers in the community, and together we were able to achieve amazing things
• I worked closely with the inner south family and friends’ group and Tandem Carers and Alfred health carer Services
• I was responsible for the Carer support fund during this time
• I worked closely and collaboratively with the Consumer Consultant and the Carer consultants at both the Youth and Aged campuses of Alfred Psychiatry, to help to redesign a service that was welcoming and embracing of the families and carers of their consumers, and that support would be offered seamlessly as each stage
• I was also a part of developing the family services team at Alfred Psychiatry

• Company Overview: Psychiatry
• I was in this role prior to the consultant role
• The carer peer work role was in both inpatient wards of Alfred Psychiatry, directly offering support to families and carers of the inpatients
• I valued my time here and worked closely with the allied health social work team as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Direct support from someone who had been through this experience during such a stressful time was so appreciated
• I particularly enjoyed supporting the families of first episode psychosis patients, as I wish this had been available to us
• I liaised closely with other support agencies to try to ease some of the stress of this time and for ongoing support
• Psychiatry

• Company Overview: drug and alcohol Rehabilitation Centre
• My role was supporting male clients as they were recovering from drug and alcohol addiction
• Facilitating groups and supporting them in their recovery and referring to appropriate services
• Drug and alcohol Rehabilitation Centre