Great things come from collaboration, so we were delighted to present our Livewire Program at the International Mental Health Conference in Queensland August 9, 2018.

We welcomed the opportunity to share our program developments including the recent review to expand our services to young people living with a primary mental health diagnoses and learn more about the latest policies and approaches into adolescent healthcare. 

Designed for young people aged between 12 and 20, Livewire supports people living with a mental illness, physical disability and a chronic or serious illness. We recognise that this period of a young person’s life can be difficult enough without the added complexity of dealing with illness or disability.

That's why Livewire was created - to address the specific needs of young people and give them a place to connect with others, feel supported and share their stories in a safe environment.

Livewire provides a secure online community where young people can connect with others, helping to increase their feelings of inclusion and enhance their sense of belonging.

In hospitals, Livewire runs creative workshops to engage adolescents feeling isolated and who would otherwise miss out on important social connections while undergoing treatment.

Like all our programs, Livewire is underpinned by research and ongoing evaluation to ensure it continues to meet the changing needs of the adolescents in our care.

With Livewire available in both Australia and New Zealand, the conference provided an invaluable opportunity to share our learnings with an international audience.

"For nine years, Livewire was the constant reminder that I am certainly not alone, that it is okay to feel pain, to feel hurt, to cry and complain about life being unfair. It’s okay to do and feel all of that, because we are simply human – whether we have lived with an illness our entire lives or it is only something we have just begun to experience the highs and lows of, we are all human and its okay to sometimes, not be okay." Livewire Member

For more info about livewire please visit www.livewire.org.au or  www.livewire.org.nz.