By Marcus Uhe
As stress continues to build for both our health sector and individuals, Dyllon Juriansz is looking to make a difference in the lives of many.
The Narre Warren support coordinator has started a group called ‘Connected’, a safe, nonjudgmental space for adults experiencing mental health issues, including severe instances such as suicidal ideation, to connect with fellow sufferers over a cup of coffee.
His Facebook group has just under 100 members as they search for a venue to begin face-to-face gatherings.
As a qualified social worker with 12 years of experience under his belt, he said the idea was sparked by affordability concerns, and the demand for services currently being stretched to the brink.
“I think the biggest issue I’m finding is that to try and get into a psychologist, there is multiple months wait,” Mr Juriansz said.
“To try and get in to see a psychiatrist is virtually impossible at the moment.
“I think what people don’t understand is, when you get a mental health plan from a GP, people think, ’Oh yeah, all my appointments with a psychologist will be bulk-billed and there’s no out-of-pocket costs,’ when in fact, Medicare only covers a small portion of that cost.
“So for a lot of people, you’re out-of-pocket anywhere from $150-200 just for an appointment with a psychologist, and nobody can afford that. The system is really failing these people that need some sort of mental health support.”
By contrast, Connected will be completely free and informal, with Mr Juriansz happy to let participants shape the sessions based on their needs and wants.
“The feedback I’ve got from the group is (they) want it to be very non-structured; I’ll open it up to the group and ask them, ’What would you like to talk about today, what were your highlights of the week, and was there anything you were struggling with or comfortable to share with the group, by all means.’
“But people have said, ‘We don’t want it to be in a structured way, where we do go around (the group) because some people may not be comfortable talking about those issues.’
“It’s not clinical. I don’t want to offer therapy because that’s not what it’s about. It’s more connection and friendship that this is focused on.
“I just want to create a safe space for adults to feel supported, that’s all it is, and make them feel connected with other community members.”
The next step in the evolution of the group is to find a suitable venue within the City of Casey to host their meetings.
To begin with, Mr Juriansz is suggesting a monthly gathering on a weeknight as he gauges demand and interest from the community.
But early impressions indicate there will be no shortage of participants.
“I’ve heard some really desperate people out there saying, ’Oh my God, this is an absolute gift, we’ve been waiting for something like this to be formed. There is absolutely nothing in the community.’
“I get that these people are connected with doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, but above all they don’t have a connection to people who are experiencing or going through those hardships themselves. This is where the Connected group came from.”
His message for anyone experiencing mental health stresses is: “Don’t stand in silence. There are always people out there who care, but it takes courage to say, you know what, I need help. That’s the first step, just reaching out to someone, that’s my key message in the whole thing.”
To register your interest in joining Connected, head to the Facebook group by searching for Connected, or go to facebook.com/groups/685686799205770
You can also contact Dyllon at dyllonjconnected@yahoo.com
If the content in this story has raised concerns with you, 24-hour support services such as Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) are available.
