The other side of the mountain: elevating the carer voice

Caring for or supporting someone with mental health and/or AOD issues can significantly impact a person’s sense of self – not only their own needs, desires and goals, but also their capacity for self-expression, creativity and reflective awareness. Writing about one’s experiences and sharing stories with others who’ve walked a similar path can play a vital role in recovery and healing. North East Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect has been offering families and carers a space to come together, reconnect with their creativity, find inspiration, and share their experiences through writing. This unique writing and storytelling initiative, developed and facilitated by Karen McKnight, a writer with her own lived experience as a carer, has proven to be a highly successful, well-received model with measurable outcomes – one that can be adapted for a variety of communities across mental health and AOD.

Karen McKnight | Writer/Teacher, North East Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect

Karen McKnight is an award-winning writer, teacher and social justice advocate with many years’ experience working with marginalised groups to explore their potential through writing. Her lived experience as a carer means she understands first-hand the therapeutic nature of writing and the power of sharing those stories with others in various forms.

Wendy Trewin | Carer, North East Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect

Wendy has been an IT professional for 30 years, working in the banking, energy and telecommunications industries. She is a mother of two adult children, one of whom lives with bipolar disorder and substance dependence. She precariously balances her professional facade with her real life as a mother and carer.

Credited Persons

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