Pictured: (L to R) NWMPHN's Choncy Shu, Snehal Shah, and Mariska Barnett; Moreen Pakwan, Manager of Carer Programs, Performance and Quality at Carers Victoria; Victoria Palmer, Evaluation Lead at the University of Melbourne; Peter Tzanetos Moderator from the In-Touch Initiative; and Sarah O’Leary, NWMPHN Director, Integrated Care at a special event hosted at NWMPHN.

Being a carer is a tough gig, and there are an estimated 700,000 people in Victoria currently living that truth. They provide support for people living with disability, chronic health conditions, mental health conditions, and frailty. 

A 2020 report by Deloitte estimated that carers in Australia provide work valued at about $70 billion a year – but for the carers themselves the social, emotional and physical costs can be very, very high. 

In order to tackle this, Carers Victoria worked with NWMPHN to develop and deliver an online carer wellbeing and connection program to ease social isolation and improve mental health. The sessions combined practical advice and the opportunity for carers to connect with each other. 

Originally known as the Social Connectedness Trial, the project was rebranded as the ‘In-Touch Initiative’. It ran, and evolved, over five years and wound up – this phase of it, at least -- at the end of 2024-25. 

The In-Touch Initiative combines a mental health professional and a moderator with groups of no more than seven carers. 

Each group engages in four 90-minute sessions delivered via Zoom. The sessions build connections and bring about cognitive reframing of how each person views their relationship with the wider world. Each participant is assisted to plan and execute social connection activities that meet their specific needs. 

Carers Victoria then provides follow-up support to reinforce positive change and help with any issues that may have emerged during the process. 

Flexibility and support are important features of the program, recognising that time is often precious and at a premium for carers. The online components were thus offered across mornings, afternoons and evenings. 

Participants were pre-screened to make sure they would benefit from the activities. Email and SMS reminders were used extensively, helping the carers better plan and manage their days, and written material was provided to further enhance learning. 

By the end of the financial year, the In Touch Initiative had been delivered to 100 groups in the NWMPHN catchment, comprising 590 carers. Of these, 39 per cent were born overseas. Reflecting broader carer demographics, 88 per cent of participants identified as female. 

At least nine groups comprised minority communities within the carer population, including six centred on Vietnamese carers. Another nine focused on male carers. A remarkable 89 per cent of all participants completed the course. 

The program was subject to rigorous ongoing evaluation led by Melbourne University, with participant experience and reflection being assessed using the UCLA Loneliness, Oslo Social Support and K10+ Psychological Distress scales. 

“All clinical reports to date,” the evaluation concluded, “have been compiled on the outcomes data, which have shown positive results, including a significant reduction in the psychological distress and loneliness of participants, as well as an increase in perceived social support.” 

Of the six performance indicators embedded in the project, three were achieved and the remainder exceeded. 

And while this period of funding from NWMPHN has come to an end, the In Touch Initiative shows no signs of waning. 

Carers Victoria is currently looking to widen its availability by partnering with other interested funders, and to modify and adapt the program for multicultural communities.