Social services

To read about a particular social service, you can click on the link below. Or you can browse through the services by scrolling down the page.

Planned Activities Group (PAG)
Emergency and Disability Services
Youth Services
Independent Living Units

Planned Activities Group (PAG)

The Planned Activities Group (PAG) provides social and recreational programs for people who are frail aged, people who have a disability and people from non-English speaking backgrounds. The activities are designed to provide clients with physical, social, intellectual and emotional stimulation. PAG operates five days per week and includes some weekend excursions.

Regular activities for the year are as follows:

• Water aerobics (weekly)
• Centre-based meals (twice weekly)
• Friendship sewing group (every first and third Thursday of the month)
• Gentle and arthritis exercises (weekly)
• Bridge club (twice weekly)
• Walking group (weekly)
• Movie afternoons (monthly)
• Book club (monthly)
• Bus trips out of town (fortnightly)

Emergency and Disability Services

Emergency Assistance

Emergency assistance programs are provided for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, including women and children experiencing domestic violence. For people experiencing an immediate crisis, assistance is provided to deal with the situation in a way that maintains dignity and encourages self reliance. Though these programs may be small in size and client numbers, in a remote community such as Mallacoota, which has a low socioeconomic base and is isolated from social services, they play a critical role in the well being of clients who access the service. In total, there are five programs providing emergency assistance.

The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) - provides help to young people, single adults and families who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. This program is Australia wide, and is funded by the Commonwealth and State Governments.

Support is provided according to assessed needs, and covers a flexible and wide range of areas, such as housing, health, financial, emotional support, legal, education and training.

The other four programs are ‘Kids Under Cover’, the ‘Housing Establishment Fund’, the ‘Emergency Relief Program’, and ‘Community Housing Ltd / Housing Information and Referral’.

Disabilty Services

MDHSS manages the 'Making a Difference' and 'Futures for Young Adults' programs. These packages are proactive and enable MDHSS to provide excursions which promote social interaction and the development of life skills, and provide an opportunity for experiences outside of Mallacoota.

Youth Services

Youth Services runs the Youth Participation and Access Program, Coota Connections.

Coota Connections aims to enable youth empowerment through participation and development. The program assists young people aged 12 to 25 years to overcome barriers, access opportunities and become more connected with their local communities. Flexibility is an essential component to ensure the program meets local needs. To achieve this, the program’s collaborative and inclusive approach uses local knowledge to build on the strengths of the community. This program has identified two main areas where young people need support:

• increasing access to and participation in social, learning and cultural opportunities in the community
• managing issues in the transition to adulthood, such as social isolation and family conflict.

Activities in the past year included

• life skills mentoring program
• Reach camps
• music events
• National Youth Week events

Independent Living Units

MDHSS manages five independent living units. The units, four one-bedroom and one two-bedroom, are located within MDHSS grounds. Features include:

• security of tenure
• delightful garden setting
• realistic entry contributions
• low weekly rental charge
• washing machine
• parking facilities
• verandah at the rear of each unit.

The MDHSS Units are located within easy walking distance of MDHSS facilities and the local Medical Practice. Access to on-site health and support services is available. The units offer a flexible and comfortable lifestyle for people who wish to live without problems associated with maintaining a home. Residents who live in the MDHSS Units are fully independent and responsible for their own cooking and cleaning. They are welcome to enjoy the activities and programs offered through MDHSS, for example: regular lunches, craft activities, gentle exercise classes and bus trips. Residents enjoy friendship, independence, security and quality of life in comfortable surrounds.

© 2009 | Privacy | Copyright | Disclaimer