You may have come to our website, already having said yes to a referral to our service, or maybe looking for more information before you make a decision.
Families who come to Coral Tree have let us know that, even though it can ultimately be a helpful experience, the first steps are often daunting. From the commitment of possibly taking a week away from home, school, and work life, to coming to a new place with staff you have yet to meet, where you know that you’ll be sharing the good and the not-so-good of your family, we know that every member of the family will experience a range of different (and sometimes conflicting) feelings.
While some families may feel relieved to have staff input at all points of their routine, for other families this can feel confronting and nerve-wracking.
When else would you have a mental health professional sitting at breakfast with you?
You also wouldn’t be alone if you catch yourself thinking - what real change can a service like Coral Tree make, especially when you have been struggling for so long. We often have this conversation with families, and it starts at assessment – the first time we meet you.
One parent, in a survey response to our team, said:
“ The initial assessment made us more likely to come to Coral Tree. The people in the room just ‘got us’ from the moment we started talking and completely understood my son and his struggles and that of all of us as a family unit are trying to cope. I distinctly remember one of the assessors really engaging with my son on a level I hadn’t seen before in our prior treatments/interventions. It gave us great confidence in the service.”
From isolated to feeling connected
A letter from Thérèse, Coral Tree's Carer Peer Worker, addressed to parents and carers who may be thinking about coming to Coral Tree.
