Support Programs

Casa Services Ltd is Central Australia’s premium disability provider with a 40-year history of delivering high quality care to adults with disabilities.

Formed by a group of parents in the 1970s, Casa was welcoming adult tenants with disability into its first group home in 1980 – way ahead of its time and decades before the NDIS.

While retaining the dedicated passion and ethos of its grassroots beginnings, Casa has matured into a large professional NFP provider of high quality support for adults with disabilities with nearly 200 staff and 70 NDIS participants.

It has 18 homes (Supported Independent Living – SIL) with supported-living options including single and shared homes to high-level, complex care.

Casa’s other disability services are also well-regarded and growing. These include day programs of art, cookery, sport and leisure activities, community support, in-home care, and NDIS Plan Management helping participants across Australia to navigate the NDIS.

We pride ourselves on supporting participants to not only fulfil basic daily needs, but to flourish and be fully participating members of their community.

As the oldest, most trusted disability service in Alice Springs – and the only truly local one – our mission is the same as it was in the ’70s: to empower each person in our care to reach their potential with quality, person-centred support based on people’s unique abilities and goals.

The NT Community Visitor Program is an independent service located in the Anti-Discrimination Commission.

Its aim to ensure the rights of those being treated for mental illness or disability are upheld and their views and concerns are heard.

Community visitors are people employed by the CVP who regularly visit Mental Health Inpatient facilities and Disability Secure Care facilities to ensure an appropriate standard of care.

The Community Visitor Program (CVP) provides monitoring, complaint resolution and advocacy services for people detained and receiving care under the Mental Health and Related Services Act 1998 and Disability Services Act 1993. The CVP also makes and monitors recommendations on systemic issues such as interpreter use and seclusion reduction.

Country Aboriginal Incorporation provides a safe space for empowering cultural identity within our Indigenous communities. Providing specific programs aims to embrace country, culture, and healing with our communities.

Our Youth Healing Program is a steppingstone to allow youth to make better choices and with support and guidance our youth have excelled.

Our men’s only healing program called ‘MnM’ men’s nurturing minds provides a support platform for our men to be supportive of one another and experience cultural healing.

We also provide visual arts programs with our talented elders teaching our new generation on Aboriginal art.

DCLS is a free, confidential service. We assist disadvantaged members of the community to protect their legal rights. We work towards a community where everyone has access to legal advice and support. We seek to challenge unjust laws and procedures, and to ensure that people are aware of their legal rights.

General Legal Service

The General Legal Service provides free legal information, advice and representation on most areas of law, including:

• Discrimination
• Social Security/Centrelink
• Employment
• Credit and debt
• Consumer issues and complaints

What to do if you have a legal issue?

Please contact us on 08 8982 1111 to access free legal information or to make a telephone appointment with one of our community lawyers. Appointments are available most weekdays except public holidays.

FREE After-Hours Legal Advice Sessions

Our free after hours advice sessions are held as below, at different locations around Darwin. They are designed to provide one-off initial advice on a range of legal issues. You can talk confidentially about your legal problem with a lawyer, who will give you advice, suggest possible actions, and in some cases may help you to write a letter or prepare other simple documents.

Darwin – every Tuesday by telephone or in person

Walk ins or appointment welcome  – call 08 8982 1111 to book an appointment

Darwin – every Thursday in person – no appointment required
5.30 – 7.30pm
Darwin Darwin Community Legal Service Office
Level 2, Winlow House, 75 Woods Street (corner of Lindsay Street) Darwin City

Casuarina – 2nd Saturday of each month – no appointment required.  Please call 08 8982 1111 to confirm the date of the next session
10.00 – 11.45am
Casuarina Library – Bradshaw Terrace

Palmerston – 4th Monday of each month  – no appointment required. Please call 08 8982 1111 to confirm the date of the next session
6.00 – 7.30pm
Palmerston Library – Goyder Square

Darwin Skills Development Scheme Inc is a community based not for profit organisation that is the Sponsor for Project Employment, the Indigenous Employment Program, and Emergency Relief funds.

We believe that everyone has the right to engage in meaningful work, to fulfil their potential as citizens and participate equitably in their community Disability Employment Services A specialised employment service providing placement, training and support in the open labour market for young people and adults with disabilities. Various free services individually tailored for job seekers, employees and employers are provided. 

Deaf Connect offers Auslan interpreter services for the deaf community in the NT.

SMS Darwin Office: 0475 769 226

Our company is Defined Community Care and we specialize in providing supports for participants utilizing the NDIS funding. We have capacity in both community access and accommodation services and are looking to expand our services. This means we can take on clients, with minimal waiting periods.

Defined Community Care was founded by two registered nurses and together with our team of reliable competent support workers; we provide a range of supports all tailored to the participant’s needs. The participant or their significant other remain at the heart of everything we do. We have vast experience in Disability and Mental Health including dual diagnoses. We have a fully qualified Psychiatrist nurse onboard as well as a registered pediatric nurse. All our workers have completed all required checks, hold qualifications in the industry and have capacity to uptake new clients.

We provide a range of services including but not limited to community access and social interaction supports, core supports – assistance with daily life as well as tenancy and accommodation services. Defined Community Care can source accommodation anywhere depending on participants choice and service needs. We currently have a vacancy in a SIL in the South East Melbourne and would be happy to discuss further as required.
We welcome any advise, networking or business opportunity that may arise as we work towards supporting the participants reach their goals.

Our point of difference:

 We have capacity to take on clients currently with minimal waiting periods
 We have trained and highly experienced professionals in our team. We have registered nurses and specialist nurses including psychiatrics nurse and a pediatric nurse on board.
 We have experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse clients including first nations people.
 We have qualified team of support workers. All our support workers have all their checks completed, have first aid and CPR certificates in place and NDIS checks.
 Our support workers have experience in helping clients achieve their goals.
 We offer services that add value and are meaningful to the participants.
 We engage with and maintain the participant and their significant other as the key persons in service provision.

A peak body for people, of all ages, living with all forms of dementia, their families and carers.

Carer Education Program

Carer education is designed to support family carers in their caring role. By learning about dementia and its impacts on the person with dementia, participants will have a better understanding of the effects of the disease.

Community Education

These presentations promote risk reduction and increase public awareness about memory loss with community education sessions delivered direct to various community groups. All groups are welcome and specific topics can be catered for.

Dementia Essentials

Designed for Aged Care Workers employed in residential, community and flexible aged care services, the Dementia Care Essentials III and Dementia Care Essentials IV Advanced provides quality training in, and workforce assessment of Competency in CHCAC319A and CHCAC416A.

SALO

The major goal of the Service Access Liaison Officer (SALO) is to deliver dementia information and risk reduction strategies to people within rehabilitation or correctional facilities within the NT. The program incorporates the Your Brain Matters 5 simple steps to maximise your brain health https://www.yourbrainmatters.org.au

Stepping Out Program

These groups provide a weekly Day Respite Service to families of people with dementia. Group attendance encourages the maintenance of skills and abilities within a social context.

Social Support

The social support program provides group-based and individualised practical help for people with memory problems who live alone, may not have family or social support locally and are not receiving community aged care packages.

Carer Support Groups 

Designed to support carers, these groups offer opportunities to network with other carers, share experiences and develop new skills.

Living with Memory Loss

This comprehensive information and support program is for people who have recently been diagnosed with memory loss or dementia and their family member or friends.

RISK REDUCTION

Brain Gym

Come along and join in, this group invites members of the general public to engage in a variety of stimulating mental exercises, puzzles and games designed to maintain and sharpen cognitive abilities and memory.

Safe Return Program

A unique program, it can give peace of mind if the person you care for tends to wander from home. This program is conducted in partnership with the NT Police.

YOUNGER ONSET DEMENTIA KEY WORKER PROGRAM

Dementia can occur at any age.The YODKW program provides individual support and services to improve the quality of life of those living with younger onset dementia, their families and carers. The program can assist a person to obtain a diagnosis, navigate and understand services, including the NDIS, and prepare organisations to meet the unique needs of this group.

Relate, Motivate, Rehabilitate

This service is a fee paying service whereby Dementia Australia NT can provide sessions of individual social support for people with dementia who are currently residing in hospital or a residential care facility.

Marie Gray Library, Darwin and Hazel Hawke Library, Alice Springs

Dementia Australia NT maintains two specialist libraries including books, research papers, journals, magazines and DVDs. Become a member of Dementia  Australia to access library resources.

Advocacy and Your Rights

Be aware of your rights, be assured of our confidentiality and be supported at all times throughout your involvement with Dementia Australia NT.

Disability Advocacy Service Inc. (DAS) provides individual and systemic advocacy dependent on issue and magnitude. DAS offers a free and confidential service to persons and families with disability defending and protecting the rights of all.

Persons are supported and empowered to exercise their own rights in accordance with the NT Disability Advocacy Standards inclusive of Disability Service Act and Standards.

The Disability Gateway provides free, nation-wide information and services to help people living with disability, their families, friends and carers, in key areas of life including but not limited to finance, employment, health and equipment.
The Disability Gateway phone line is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm AEDT.