At Milparinka we have three main types of services:

Individualised Lifestyle Arrangements
Group Activities
Weekend and Holiday respite Programs – Escapades

Individualised Lifestyle Arrangements

If the Department of Human Services has allocated you funds through an individualised funding package there are a lot of choices you can make about how to use these funds. The great benefit of being able to make choices about how the money is spent is that you can design and influence your own supports so that they are much more personalised and relevant to you. You don’t have to use these funds to access any one particular type of support and it is important that you have the chance to think about your life and the best way to use the resources available to assist you a have a good life.

Our Individualised lifestyle arrangements provide people with an alternative to group and segregated options. We that that the starting point for personalised services is ensuring that individualised suppports develop from a well developed understanding of who people are and what they need and want. In this program we:

Spend time getting to know you.
Support you to develop a vision for the future.
Work with you as an individual; not someone who is sharing resources with a group of other people, and to develop with you a tailor-made support package for yourself which is not limited to any one type of service.
Ensuring that you and your family have greater authority, influence and control over all aspects of your supports.
Create more typical lifestyle responses and supports that include you in your local communities. While some people may need paid supports for different reasons we emphasise the use of natural community supports and relationships.When we talk about natural supports we are meaning ordinary people who work and attend community places and not specialist disability staff.

Some of the ways you can organise your support include:

Using your funds to purchase a range of things such as equipment and access to community supports.
Using Milparinka to host your funds so you can develop a tailor made support package for yourself. This basically means that we hold the funds for you and you direct how they are spent.
Employing staff from other places or even directly employing your own staff.
Using direct support from Milparinka to assist you to access opportunities and achieve ambitions.
Building up a range of Natural supports in your community

Thinking and Problem Solving

It is important to us that we are supporting you to achieve your ambitions. When you choose to engage with us we will talk to you about your life and what your ambitions are. Some people have already worked this out and we simply join with you to try and make these things happen. The process of thinking is ongoing and can occur and reoccur whenever you want it to. It is this thinking that directs how we assist you. We prefer to work with people through a process of ongoing discussions that is worked out specifically with people rather than doing a once a year plan for everyone. For example some people prefer a series of casual meetings, some prefer Circles of Support while others may want a very formal process. We will assist you to work out ways of thinking that suit you.

Types of Support and Costs

Due to the individualised nature of our relationships the support you access is based on your ambitions and choices rather than a set amount of hours or type of support. We assist you to work out the best way to reach your ambitions. This is different for different people; for some people it may be using natural supports in the community and not using many funds at all, for others it may mean purchasing staff hours for direct support or some other equipment.

For examples of what this support looks like for some people we know, please see the examples on our Peoples Stories page.

If you would like to find out more about our individualised lifestyles supports please contact us us on 9387 9985 or info@milparinka.org.au

Group Activities and Supports

The best way to find out about the services that we provide in our group activities is to ask us directly about these as they are developed and changed in response to peoples preferences. When you tell us what you want from Milparinka we will try and accomodate this. Below you will find an outline some of the things we think about when we provide services for individuals in our group activities.

For our structured programs we have adopted a model of support that keeps groups of service users and staff together for extended periods. We have found that this gives people time and consistency to communicate, solve problems, share stories and form relationships with others. It also means that people get to know each other much better and that planning for new programs and developments are based on a more personal knowledge of each person.

To support service users effectively we need to have a wide range of options. We expand the options available by developing links with a range of community agencies to increase opportunities available to service users.
That for many service users we are one of a number of services that they use. Where it brings benefit to service users, and they give approval, we work with other agencies, for example case managers, recreation programs and residential staff to provide a more coordinated support system for service users and get the best use out of available resources.
Our programs are coordinated, flexible and responsive without rigid boundaries. We are committed to providing quality programs, but not the same programs forever. They will change in content, how they are provided, or disappear all together in response to what we know about our service users and changes in their needs.
Our Community Access programs are not just about access: - they are about community participation that emphasis connections and social inclusion. With very few exceptions all groups that access the community from our ATSS consist of 4 people or less, including staff and service users.

Making Choices – we provide many formal and informal opportunities for service users and their circle of support to be able to make choices about what they do with Milparinka and to influence how and when we do things. This includes things like a flexible service user planning process and a model of service that can change in response to what our service users want.
Relationships – people who come to Milparinka tell us that this is one of the most important areas of work that we are involved with; supporting people to have social and reciprocal relationships that encourage them to develop friendships, share good times and have better stories to tell.
Communication – We support our service users to communicate more effectively in whatever way is best for them. We do this as we know that when people can communicate more efectively it empowers them to have more influence in their lives, increases their opportunities to make decisions, make friends, solve problems, have a joke, celebrate, tell stories and to experience life. We support a number of people who for parts of their lives have, or have had, challenging behaviors, we believe that being able to communicate more effectively is a major factor in helping people to move past these behaviors. We employ a full time Communication Manager to support this process.
Participation/Interaction – Participation in programs and venues is not just about being able to complete a task or use equipment it is equally about sharing time with others. A lot of emphasis is placed on our service users participating in all programs, whether on site or in the community in a way that promotes shared and positive interactions and relationships and is not simply about being there.

One of the things that people often talk to us about are personal care and support needs which exist regardless of each persons ambitions. These needs are very real for people and are essential parts of our work. We provide as high a quality of support in these areas as possible but remain aware and committed to the view that this support is provided, not as if it is the main purpose of peoples lives, but rather as a response that makes it possible for people with different abilities and needs to participate fully in the community, contribute to society and have great lives.

If you would like to know more about the adult training and support services please call us on 9387 9985 or email on info@milaprinka.org.au

Please be aware that as we support more and more people in individualised and personalised ways that places in group and segregated service models are becoming more limited and places may not be available at the time of your query.

ESCAPADES - Recreational Respite Programs

Milparinka provides recreational respite programs for people who live in the cities of Yarra, Darebin, Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley. These programs provide planned respite through recreation and leisure activities during weekends, holidays and some evenings.

The program is aimed at giving carers a break while providing people who have a disability with an enjoyable time. The program is available to all people who have a disability aged between 6 and 65 years who live with their family or unpaid carer in the areas identified above. If you live in supported accommodation services, such as a community residential unit, you are not eligible for this program.

The programs provide a range of exciting options for service users. Activities are designed to be appropriate for the ages and interests of participants in each group. These have been developed with consultation and feedback from families and service users. In the past year activities have included, swimming, bowling, movies, dances, gymnastic clubs, the zoo, the sound house, parks and gardens, sailing, fishing and meals out. We also attempt to support the use of natural respite through supporting young people to join and play sport in local clubs on a weekly basis.

The programs are usually provided in regular small groups, which supports the development of ongoing relationships between participants. The support levels provided are flexible, and are developed around the needs of the participants. This ensures that the program is accessible for people with higher staff support needs.

There are no fees for the service but participants are required to cover the costs of entry to activities where these occur. This usually ranges between 5 to 10 dollars per activity but can be more on special occassions.

How Do You Access The Respite Program

Phone the Escapades Program Manager on 9429 8131. You will be forwarded some forms to complete and we will arrange to come out and meet with you to talk about the program. Please note that there is far greater demand for this service than we are able to respond to so there may be a delay before people can access the program after they apply. This delay may not apply to people with their own support package who are able to purchase support above and beyond of our normal capacity.

You can also contact the Program Manager by e-mail at escapades@milparinka.org.au

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