Making mental health support work for you 

Being approved for mental health support can bring a mix of emotions. After waiting, planning and telling your story, approval is the moment where support begins to move from an idea into reality. You might feel relieved, nervous, hopeful, unsure…  

If you’ve been approved for support, the next step is finding an experienced mental health provider you feel comfortable with and who can meet your needs. Mental health support works best when it’s built around your life, your goals, your challenges, and when it’s taken at your pace. It’s not simply about providing a service – it’s about providing the right support for you.  

An Avivo team member may talk with you about what’s been happening, what your daily life looks and feels like, what support has helped before (if you’ve accessed support before), and what you would like to work toward. 

Your funding and personal circumstances will help inform how we move forward with your planning, which could look like: 

• recovery planning; 

• in-home support; 

• help with routines; 

• social and community connection; 

• support to attend appointments; 

• building confidence and independence; 

• exploring work or study goals; or 

• connecting with other services that may support your wellbeing. 

You can see some of the support paths here. 

Our focus 

At Avivo, our mental health support is recovery-focused, based around you and your needs. Support should reflect what matters to you. It’s not a cookie cutter approach. Every person is different, which is why our approach and support is different, depending on who we’re working with. 

Mental health support and recovery aren’t linear. We lean into what’s helping you at a particular time, but we’re flexible in our approach to helping you build new routines, feel more connected, and feel more confident in your everyday life. 

We tune into you and your needs, which is why getting the right Support Worker is crucial and something we take care and effort into getting right.  

Before your first meeting 

It can be helpful to think about what support might look like to you. If you’ve never had support before, this can be hard to imagine, so it’s good to think about: 

• What are your main goals, worries, and triggers? 

• What are your strengths? 

• What are your personal preferences? 

• What have you been struggling with lately? 

• What do you think would make a big difference to your mental wellbeing? 

• What would you like your life to look and feel like? 

These are big questions, but they help us get to know you better and understand what your support plan might look like.  

If you’d like someone such as a family member or friend to join in your first meeting to support you, they’re welcome to.  

It’s a good idea to prepare some questions in advance. No question is off limits, but some practical questions to consider might be: 

• What time of day would support work best for you? 

• Do you struggle more at a particular time of day – i.e. getting up in the morning? 

• Would you like support in the community, at home or both? 

• Are there any tasks that you struggle to face? 

• Do you need help forming healthy routines? 

• Do you need support with life admin such as budgeting, or appointments? 

There are no wrong answers here. We’re simply looking to get a picture of how we can find the right support fit for you. 

Beginning support 

A strong support relationship takes time and patience to form. Allow yourself to take things slowly as it can take a little while getting comfortable sharing parts of your life with someone new.  

You may have good days and harder days – that’s OK and totally normal. It’s a journey and we’re here for you. 

For support to work well, try to be as open as you feel comfortable being and let us know what is and isn’t helping. If a time, approach, activity, or worker doesn’t feel like the right fit, say so.  

We respect your decisions and can alter your plan to better suit your preferences. 

Celebrate 

We enjoy celebrating the small wins with our customers. It might be something like getting to an appointment you’ve been putting off, cooking a meal, meeting up with a friend, or asking for help. Incremental changes create momentum and become big changes over time, and your confidence will flourish in the process. 

We’re here to celebrate the good times, as well as to be by your side, encouraging you during the more challenging times. Being approved for support is the beginning of what will become a life-changing partnership.  

Urgent support 

If things become urgent or unsafe at any point, Support Workers are not a replacement for emergency or crisis services. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or attend your nearest emergency department.  

24/7 crisis and suicide support 
Lifeline: 13 11 14 
Lifeline Crisis Text Line: 0477 131 114 
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 
The Samaritans (24/7 Anonymous Crisis Support): 135 247 

Questions?  

Get in touch. We’re here for you. 

1300 428 486 

hello@avivo.org.au