Skills for Life at Yarrawonga

14 Feb 2024

Yarrawonga Mulwala Community & Learning Centre has developed a program to teach valuable life skills to NDIS participants.

The Skills for Life program was developed after a request from a Disability Support Worker in the Yarrawonga area, indicating that there was a need for a program to teach valuable life skills to NDIS participants, in a small group setting, face-to-face, over a period of time. To facilitate this request, YMCLC developed a 10-week course that includes the following topics:

* Promoting independence
* Communication
* Relationships – building and sustaining these
* Professional boundaries
* Money skills
* Resume writing to gain work
* Social skills
* Mindfulness and resilience
* Making healthy choices
* Health & wellbeing
* Cyber safety
* Teamwork
* Rights and responsibilities

The course commenced in early October with 5 participants, and they have been regularly attending each week, with a couple supported by their Disability Support Worker/s. Since the program started there has been a significant growth in the participants' confidence, have seen them form new friendships, and have observed an improvement in their communication skills and abilities overall. The program also includes community access, guest speakers and different activities or experiences each week based around the topic of the week.

In addition, each week, our Trainer, Tania, guides the participants to undertake a mindfulness exercise towards the end of the day to help them relax before the end of the session. This sometimes includes meditation, listening to relaxation music, or a great favourite of all the participants, colouring in.

YMCLC believe that this program is of great benefit, not only to the participants and their support workers, but also to us as an organisation being able to connect with and support our local community.