Community support service Holyoake hosts stakeholder meeting and tour of new premises in Narrogin

Health care and community support workers gathered at Narrogin’s Town Hall complex on August 17 to meet with staff from Holyoake for a tour of the non-profit’s new premises and a networking morning tea. Holyoake, a WA-based alcohol and other drug counselling and mental health support service, has been operating in the region for about 22 years and this is the first time that the Narrogin branch has had its own space. “Thursday was partly an opportunity to network, to bring everybody together and connect, and also to introduce them to our new office,” regional manager for Holyoake Wheatbelt Matthew Steffel said. “It’s exciting and it reflects the fact that we are growing and having a greater presence in the community.” Mr Steffel said there was a growing need for mental health services and support in regional areas and that Holyoake’s programs have expanded in response. “A lot of people see Holyoake as being only concerned with alcohol and other drug support and while that is the core of what we do we are also increasingly offering mental health support,” he said. “We’re well positioned to offer a variety of different services. Often we’re supporting family members and friends that are impacted by the use of others and that’s something we really want to emphasise to the community.” Mr Steffel said he hoped that the relocation to Federal Street would encourage people in need of support to reach out. “When we were choosing the location we were very mindful about wanting to be visible but also conscious of the fact that a lot of people want to maintain their privacy,” he said. “We’re very much focused on trying to overcome stigma and making it more acceptable for people to seek help. “It’s really quite common for people to struggle with their own or others’ use — it’s okay to reach out.” The Narrogin office provides outreach services in neighbouring towns and Mr Steffel said that anyone seeking support should call the office on 9881 1999 to arrange an appointment. “Our approach is very much person-centred, we work with people in terms of what they want to achieve and it’s very much led by the individual and their goals,” he said. “When problems start to have an impact on relationships, work or study that’s often an indicator that people should seek support.”