Education Programs

Education Programs

MIFSA currently runs two main education programs:

Adelaide Metro Education Program

SA Country Outreach Program

In 2005 the Mental Illness Fellowship of SA and its Education Program was awarded the prestigious Dr Margaret Tobin Award for Excellence in promoting an understanding of mental health in the community, and the Eli Lilly 2005 Partnerships in Wellbeing Award.

Metro Education Programs

MIFSA will provide education sessions to the metro Adelaide community on request. Please contact the office for availability and cost. Sessions are presented using PowerPoint and include topics as follows:

Information session on depression

Information session on schizophrenia

Information session on bipolar disorder

Information session on psychosis

Information session on mood disorders - general

Information session - what is mental health

Each session includes information on signs and symptoms and tools for recovery and management. Sessions can be tailored according to the needs of the group. Presentations will also provide information to assist in the following areas:

Helping to remove barriers to social integration and employment opportunities
Assisting professionals to play a greater role in recovery and improved quality of life for people with mental illness
Understanding the role of medication, therapy and psychosocial rehabilitation
Understanding mental illness and dual diagnosis and recognising symptoms
Identifying startegies which assist in managing the impact of mental illness
Understanding the benefits of early intervention and relapse prevention.

For further information please contact the Metro Education Program Coordinator:

Andrew Kelly

Phone: 8221 5160

Email Andrew

Schizophrenia Education Session

Anxiety Education Session

SA Country Outreach Program

This program has specific funding from the Department of Health to deliver a range of education sessions to the seven regional areas in South Australia. These areas are:

Far North

Mid North

Eyre Peninsula

Yorke Peninsula

Riverland

South East

Fleurieu Peninsula/Kangaroo Island

Education sessions are delivered to the general community, health care workers, ambulance and police staff, schools and a range of other interested parties. Sessions are tailored according to the needs of specific groups but can include material on schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, bipolar disorder, schizo-affective disorder, anxiety disorders, and management and recovery strategies.

MIFSA has a dedicated group of Community Educators, who can accompany staff on Country Outreach trips to present or contribute to sessions. Many of MIFSA's Community Educators have lived experience of mental illness or are carers of someone with a mental illness. It is an important ethos of the organisation to have those with lived experience contribute significantly to developing and presenting educational material.

One of the aims of this program is to continually evaluate the needs of regional communities in SA in mental health education delivery and to develop relevant educational materials to assist in the recovery process for those living with mental illness.

For further information, please contact the Education Program Coordinator:

Sophie Angell

Phone: 8221 5160

Email Sophie