ON FIRE!

The Schizophrenia Fellowship recently auspiced ON FIRE! which is a program that promotes the mental health and wellbeing of young people living in Sydney, whose parents or siblings have mental health issues.

Some basic information about ON FIRE!
The purpose of ON FIRE! Is to promote the mental health & well being of young people living in Sydney, whose parents or siblings have mental health issues.

The main objectives of ON FIRE! are:

• To provide opportunities for young people to enjoy peer support and friendship.
  
• To provide opportunities for young people to experience personal growth & learning.
  
• To provide opportunities for young people to make a positive difference in society.
  
• To serve as a catalyst & inspiration for others.

Why is it so important to support these young people?
It is estimated that there are about 294 000 young people whose parents have mental health issues in Australia today. The experiences of, and outcomes for these young people vary considerably.

"These young people have the potential to develop significant strengths and resilience as a result of their growing up experiences. These young people also have associated risks having a parent with mental health issues" (The Schizophrenias 2001).

Supporting young people and their families can make the difference.

So what approach does ON FIRE! use to promote the mental health & well being of young people?
The mental health and well being of young people is promoted through a variety of peer-support, life skills development, and leisure activities. These activities are facilitated within a strengths-based (in other words, building on people's strengths and resources), peer-support frame work (enabling people to feel connected to other people who they can relate to and learning from each other). This compassionate, innovative and empowering approach provides young people with opportunities to recognize and further develop their resilience.

What activities does ON FIRE! provide?
ON FIRE! provides a range of peer support, life skills development & leisure activities. These fun and exciting activities include: Camps, Fun Day Sleepovers, Peer Support Groups, the FIRESIDE newsletter, website and a Leadership Program (for instance Bush Camps, coaching and group-work). Young people play a key role in determining what activities ON FIRE! provides. This helps ensure that ON FIRE! activities are fun, interesting and relevant.

How was ON FIRE! established?
ON FIRE was created in early 2001, following the desire of a small group of people to make a positive difference in the Australian community. Young people whose parents or siblings have mental health issues were chosen as the group to support because of a notable lack of direct support for these young people and their families (Burdekin Report 1993). It is hoped that ON FIRE! will in turn, serve as a catalyst and inspiration for other people to make a positive difference in the areas that they feel passionate about.

Which young people do ON FIRE! work with?

Young people (generally 8yrs and over),  whose parents or siblings have mental health issues. These young people live mainly in South East Sydney. However, as the partnership between ON FIRE! & the SFNSW continues to grow, opportunities may emerge for young people outside Sydney.

ON FIRE! does not work with young people who have significant self-harm, aggressive (especially bullying), or 'acting out' behaviours. ON FIRE! expect young people to cooperate with leaders and treat their peers with respect. Other forms of support are sought for young people who are not able to behave in a manner consistent with the positive peer culture that has already been established at ON FIRE.

Who supports ON FIRE!
ON FIRE! proudly works in partnership with the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW (SFNSW), Maroubra Police and Community Youth Club, the Rotary Club of Great Lakes Inc. These organizations provide the auspices for ON FIRE! activities.

These partnerships help build community and are a demonstration of the ON FIRE! commitment to working with a range of organizations, businesses and individuals. The synergies of these partnerships further enhance the sustainability of ON FIRE! and provide more exciting opportunities for young people.

World First for ON FIRE! and SFNSW!

Media Release from Eli Lilly

In 2003, On Fire! will turn a local dream into an international reality thanks to a national competition win.

The volunteer organisation will use the $7,500 prize money to help get a world-first personal coaching program for kids off the ground.

The Eli Lilly Partnerships in Wellbeing Award was established to recognise innovative programs that assist people living with a mental illness.

Mr Nickolas Yu, On Fire's co-founder, said that until recently, it was not uncommon for children of parents with a mental illness to be removed from their parents' care and that new strategies were now needed to help families stay together.

"Young people whose parents or siblings have a mental illness often develop an amazing resilience which is required just to get through each day," Mr Yu said.

"We build on these qualities by providing children with access to a peer support network, life skills development, leisure activities and positive stable role models.

"The additional coaching program will provide a much needed extra level of help for children involved with On Fire! There's a lot of work to be done, but we hope to start the first phase of this new program by mid next year."

While around 294,000 young people have parents with a mental illness in Australia, On Fire! is the only community group in the country providing regular support services for them.

Being the child of a mother with schizophrenia, Nickolas has first-hand knowledge of how mental illness can affect a young person. His own experience, together with professional skills as a mental health nurse, led him to establish On Fire! in 2001.

"We focus on what the members want to do and how we can help them. Fun is a key element of our group - there are camps and a range of day activities. This helps members develop friendships with other people who understand their situation and they become crucial resources for each other," said Nickolas.

On Fire is currently supporting more than 50 young people (8 - 16 years of age) who mostly come from Sydney's south-eastern suburbs.

Rebecca Griffin, Acting Director of the Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW, which works in partnership with On Fire! said that when a parent has a mental illness, the child often needs to be the carer.

"It can be a complete role reversal that forces the child to mature very quickly. As a carer, it also puts them at risk of isolation and loneliness, which is where On Fire! comes to the rescue," she added.

While On Fire! is only available to young people in Sydney, news of its success is already spreading to other parts of NSW, where there is interest in establishing similar groups.

"We believe this model also has the potential to be used in other countries and the coaching program is expected to attract attention locally and internationally," said Mrs Griffin.

On Fire! was one of five major winners of the Partnerships in Wellbeing 2003 Awards, sponsored by pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly Australia.

Want to find out more about the brand new coaching program? Click here!