Skylight is a community mental health service that offers a range of innovative programs for individuals with mental health problems.
They have been around many years, albeit with different names (e.g. previously the Mental Illness Fellowship of SA). This has allowed them to build a lot of experience in helping individuals with mental illness.
In this post I am going to try to give you a really quick overview of what they do, so you can determine if they offer something that might be helpful to you. I’ve included links to specific sections of the Skylight website, to help navigate the many resources they offer.
Therapeutic Groups
Time-limited groups (6-8 people) focused on rehabilitation and recovery from mental illness.
Activity Programs
Recovery from mental illness through engagement in different activities – e.g. art, golf, fishing, drum making, gardening, cooking, swimming.
Respite Programs
In-home and residential respite for carers of individuals with mental illness
Carer Support Programs
Education programs for individuals with mental illness and their carers, families and friends.
Mental Health First Aid
Courses for members of the public on how to assist someone who is developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.
Counselling
Supporting individuals with mental illness to assume greater control over their lives.
Information Sheets
Fact sheets (i.e. PDFs) on a range of topics from mental illness diagnosis and treatment, to being a carer, and suicide and self-harm.
NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)
Skylight are a registered NDIS provider. Their website is a useful resource for individuals with mental illness who might wish to access the NDIS. They also run information sessions on the NDIS to help you understand if it might be appropriate for you.
Online Forums
In collaboration with SANE, Skylight offer access to two online forums: one for individuals with lived experience of mental illness and one for carers.
Blog/Newsletter
Skylight write a blog and also publish a regular newsletter. Both are a good way to stay up-to-date with the services and programs they are running.
Want to comment on this article, or ask me a question about the health and well-being services available to you as a student? Feel free to comment below, abuse me on Twitter (@Dr_Furber), contact me on Skype (search for ‘eMental Health Project Officer Gareth’), or email me (gareth.furber@flinders.edu.au)