Why HPHH is ‘therapy that doesn’t feel like a chore’: CaRelief visits HPHH Wacol
At Happy Paws Happy Hearts, we are all about creating meaningful connections. Whether between our participants and rescue animals, or with our amazing Referral Partners who help us reach even more ‘paw-some’ people - we know that by coming together, we can create more change in the lives of others.
CaRelief was founded to help more people get the support they truly need in the complex world of NDIS. CaRelief Support Coordinators Erika Eagleson, Tara Brown and Brooke Hughes attended HPHH Wacol to experience the magic of our inclusive group programs for themselves (and cuddle some cute rescue puppies!).
As Support Coordinators, CaRelief is on the lookout for programs that can benefit their participants outside of ‘typical’ therapies. Many of their clients are constantly in and out of appointments, like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology or psychology (to name a few!) and are left feeling like each therapy is another errand to run. HPHH is a place that can help participants grow while having fun and is a place participants look forward to coming back to week after week!
Brooke grew up around animals, with a dog and a baby at home. After working in real estate for 6 years, she decided to pivot her career to Support Coordination after talking with one of her rental clients, a Support Coordinator, and falling in love with what they did. This career change also aligned with her interest in mental health.
“I honestly couldn’t think of a better place [to work],” Brooke says.
After touring the HPHH Wacol facility and peering into some ‘pup-tastic’ sessions, Brooke says she was surprised by our capacity to welcome and support participants, both in terms of physical space and the different levels of our programs to fit individual needs, goals and capabilities.
“I really like that you separate people in their right cohort. It’s really impressive,” Brooke says.
“We are looking for programs that they can participate in that are going to benefit them and their life; activities that they see as fun,” Erika says.
“They don’t realise that they’re picking up daily living skills. When you’re seeing therapists all the time, I don’t know about you, but a day of running errands or going to doctor’s appointments is mentally exhausting.”
A large majority of HPHH’s cohort are neurodivergent, aligning with CaRelief’s clientele. Tara’s son is neurodivergent and has a special relationship with his cat - so she understands the human-animal connection on a personal level.
“My son is diagnosed with high-functioning autism and ADHD. We have this cat, Thunder, that he can pick up and do anything with...if the rest of the family try and pat him, he’ll slinky away from us,” Tara says.
“It’s amazing to see their connection and then seeing it in other people as well, seeing that it’s making a difference in their lives is amazing.”
CaRelief already has clients that attend HPHH and are interested in joining our inclusive group programs. After learning more about our programs, they are ‘furry’ excited to continue working with us. As we welcome many NDIS participants, our programs are a ‘paw-fect’ fit for Support Coordinators looking for unique group therapy programs for their animal-loving clients.
Brooke said it was helpful to attend HPHH to get a better understanding of our programs.
“We’ve been communicating about the program before coming out today but having more of a physical understanding of what happens here is really helpful,” Brooke says.
“Lou in the Business Development Team is great, and you’re all very knowledgeable. Lou has this natural voice that’s very calming yet informative.”
If you’d like to learn more about how to become a Referral Partner or Corporate Partner with HPHH, please contact Louise Harrison at louise.harrison@hphhfoundation.org to ask for more information or to organise a time to chat.
If you’d like to learn more about CaRelief, please visit www.carelief.com.au or call us on 07 3180 8805.