Neurodiverse Community Hub
At Upbeat Health and Wellbeing, we pride ourselves on the accessibility and power of our programs. We understand that each person that walks through the doors of our Community Hub has their own history and needs, which is why every person has a meeting with one of our lovely intake staff to understand how we can work towards meeting your goals through our programs. We are currently growing a range of individual and group offerings in a range of mediums to suit your needs. Each one is strengths-based, disability-friendly, trauma-informed, and celebrates uniqueness. We meet you where you are at.
We are actively taking bookings for: Art Group Program, Self-Care Saturday, Music Lessons, and NDIS referrals for Support Services. Email us directly for more information.
We are currently taking expressions of interest for: Movie Night, Cooking Lessons, and Outdoor Education.
Art Group Program
Our Art Group Program is a fan-favourite at UpBeat Health and Wellbeing with many of our clients choosing to attend at our Community Hub weekly. Run by our Licensed Art Therapist on Tuesdays, the Art Group Program is a collaborative and community-focused event that supports everyone to try new art forms and further their capacity to express themselves in established mediums. We provide the paint, the paper, the collage material, the pencils, and any odd bits and bobs that spark creative joy within people. Each week will be slightly different and there is something for everyone. Whether this is the first time you have done art in your lives, or if you are a professional artist, you will fall in love with this program and find community with the wonderful people it attracts. Art allows people to feel their emotions in a different way and express them in the abstract or realistic – the possibilities are endless. Express yourself, learn more about yourself, and meet new friends from 12pm – 4pm every Tuesday.
Self-Care Saturday
A new edition to our program list, Self-Care Saturday’s are finally here after many requests! They are hosted at our Community Hub from 10am – 2pm every week and will always be slightly different but always reliably relaxing. Leave recharged and refreshed every week with increased skills on how to take care of yourself and valuing doing so a little more every time. Self-Care Saturday’s include many elements including: cooking themed lunches, reading and storytelling, home-based spas, dancing and movement, music making, and more. You are worthy of self-kindness, and this day is here to create space for you to feel that truth. Never underestimate the power of softness and your ability to make someone else smile.
Music Lessons
At UpBeat Health and Wellbeing we understand that different forms of creative expression allow individuals to access and understand their emotions and experiences in a way that may have not been possible otherwise. That is why we offer music lessons as a way to practice multiple different musical expression through traditional and eclectic instruments as well as singing. We offer piano, guitar, base, percussion, and singing as our main forms that we provide, however we are open to individuals bringing their own instruments to jam with. In our music lessons you will have the chance to practice a range of songs and start to stretch your ability to create your own. Music is a form of storytelling and we want to offer every person the chance to own theirs.
Movie Nights
UpBeat Health and Wellbeing’s movie nights are one of the cheaper programs to get involved in that allow participants to engage with the community in a safe space that requires less active participation. Participants can expect to watch a family-friendly movie with a diverse group of people and have time to communicate about it afterwards to make friends or simply practice communication skills. Viewing movies alongside others increases attention, empathy, and the ability to see from another person’s perspective.
First Nations Cultural Workshops
TBA
Cooking Lessons
Learning life skills that allow for creative expression and sensory experiences is a great option for neurodiverse clients of all ages. Participants will get a chance to learn about nutrition, budgeting your grocery shopping, seasonal produce, expanding safe foods, and working with sensory needs all the while making a range of meals and baked goods. It is a communal and relaxed space that centres connectivity between participants and has time for a mixture of independent work and teamwork. We provide the kitchen, the food, and the tools needed. Each week will be different. This is one of our more expensive programs due to the food costs, but one definitely worth checking out! It is run by our talented staff, several of whom worked professionally as cooks and chefs.
Outdoor Education
Our outdoor education program offers individuals of all ages to experience the therapeutic magic of nature and getting out into the outdoors. Research has shown how great the impacts are of an outdoor walk on mental wellbeing and we want to offer our participants a chance to engage with others in a calming and sensory-sensitive place. By giving people the chance to touch, smell, hear, and see the natural world in engaging outdoor programs, we hope to foster an ongoing love of nature in every participant. Our programs are gentle and focus on risk minimisation with maximum hands on engagement.
Support Services
Psychosocial Support Services are available for our clients who have access to NDIS funding under this line item. Our team goes above and beyond in providing the best possible support. Many team members have their own lived experience of neurodiversity and mental illness they have overcome alongside tertiary qualifications in relevant fields or extensive experience in supporting individuals with complex mental health needs. Due to the skill of our staff members, we also offer early therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this service is to support clients to work towards long-term goals in their day-to-day life.