Carers Connect

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Carers Connect

Support for you, while you support someone else

Caring for someone can be an important and meaningful part of life. It can also mean that a lot of your time, attention and energy goes towards someone else’s needs.

Carers Connect gives you some dedicated time to focus on your own wellbeing, goals and what matters to you.

You might be supporting a partner, parent, child, family member or someone else close to you. You might not even think of yourself as a “carer”. If supporting someone is an important part of your life, Carers Connect may be able to support you too.

Carers Connect is a free and confidential program for eligible people on the Gold Coast. You’ll work one-on-one with a Coach who can help you find practical ways to manage everyday challenges, look after your wellbeing and make space for the things that are important to you.

Support is available in person, by phone or by video call, so you can choose what works best around your life and caring responsibilities.

Want to learn more about Carers Connect?

How does Carers Connect work?

Carers Connect is about you.

You’ll have regular one-on-one sessions with a Coach, with time to talk about what is happening in your life and decide what you would like to work on. That might mean finding better ways to manage stress or worry, working through a difficult decision, improving sleep or routines, building confidence, communicating more effectively, or simply finding ways to make more time for your own wellbeing.

Your Coach will work alongside you to identify practical strategies and small, achievable steps that suit your circumstances. The program uses evidence-based approaches, including low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy, to provide practical tools that you can use in everyday life.

Your Coach can also help connect you with other services, community supports or practical assistance where that would be useful. If it becomes clear that another type of support would better meet your needs, we’ll help you understand your options and connect with an appropriate service.

What can we work on together?

There isn’t one particular reason you need to come to Carers Connect.

Everyone’s caring situation and life circumstances are different. You might want support with:

managing stress, worry or difficult emotions
making time for your own health and wellbeing
solving practical problems or working through decisions
improving sleep, routines or everyday habits
building confidence
communicating with family members or others in your life
managing competing responsibilities
staying connected with the people and activities that matter to you
adjusting to changes in your caring role or circumstances
finding other services, supports or community connections

You and your Coach can decide together what would be most useful to focus on.

Who is Carers Connect for?

Carers Connect is available to eligible people aged 12 and over who live, work or study on the Gold Coast and have a caring role.

Caring can look different for everyone. You may be supporting someone because of their age, health, disability or other circumstances, or supporting a partner or family member during pregnancy or after the arrival of a baby.

Elderly or infirmity carers

Perinatal carers

You don’t need to have everything figured out before contacting us, and you don’t need to know exactly what kind of support you want.

You also don’t need a referral from your GP or a Mental Health Care Plan.

Please remember, if you or anyone you know is in immediate danger, please call 000 or refer to this page for crisis services and after hours support.

*You will not be able to use the program if you are currently seeing a mental health professional, are not the right age, or do not live/work/study in an eligible postcode. For younger participants and residents of other locations, contact the national Medicare Mental Health phone service which is available for everyone to call (1800 595 212) and they can refer you to the best service to meet your needs.

Locations: the Gold Coast

Reach out to us using the Contact Form or call our friendly team to have a chat! This program serves residents of the Gold Coast PHN area (pictured below), as well as people who work or study in this area:

Brochure downloads

Carers Connect
for elderly or infirmity carers

Carers Connect
for perinatal carers

Enquire or register for the program

Submit the form below and we'll be in touch soon. When entering Suburb and Postal Code, use the Gold Coast location in which you reside, study, or work. You can also phone (07) 3186 4000 now to discuss how we can help.

Once submitted, a friendly member of our team will call in the next few business days to discuss the program. This call may come from a mobile number. If you miss this call, we will leave an SMS or email to discuss setting up a time that suits you.

This service is supported by funding from Gold Coast PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.