PEER-SUPPORTED mental health services are unusual but in the Redlands Bayside Initiatives Group has been providing such services for about 20 years.
Based in an industrial building on Veronica Street, Capalaba BIG provides a place for people struggling with mental illness to drop-in between 9am and 2pm on weekdays.
Co-ordinator Samuel Walker said they supported at least 160, sometimes up to 250 people, a quarter. Members are from 18 to 60 years old and BIG also works with people who are gay, lesbian and transgender.
“Many members have severe and persistent mental health issues,” he said.
“We provide a place where people feel they belong. It is not about people being cured but about learning to live with their experience and it helps to see other people in recovery.
“Members are from all walks of life and many different socio-economic backgrounds. We are linked by our experience of mental health.”
Mr Walker said BIG was trying to ensure their organisation was sustainable so they could continue to help people in need.
“Many people just pop in for a coffee or game of pool as we provide a place to connect and talk to others about what they are going through.
“We also offer art and music programs, run a hearing voices support group and organise outings.”
Mr Walker said BIG helped members feel less isolated.
“We might have 15 people around a table having dinner together. For most of our members that’s an opportunity they don’t get at any other time.
“There is a lot of stigma out there about mental illness, even though it affects about half our population. It takes a lot of guts for some people even just to come to BIG for the first time.”
BIG gets government funding, about a quarter of which covers their rent. Other income is mostly from short contracts.
Board chairwoman Sanghita Frydenlund said they had three part-time staff members and relied extensively on volunteers.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of BIG,” she said. “They are what keeps us going.”
Ms Frydenlund said they wanted to expand their services to be able to help more people.
One of their goals is to find more accessible and suitable premises.
“We hope to have a building with rooms in which to run programs and space to build a thriving, vibrant community,” she said.
For more information, visit big-inc.org.au or phone 3390 1116.