Fresh Hope

Fresh Hope Australia provides resources, training and support for churches to establish peer-to-peer support groups for individuals facing mental health challenges, and their loved ones.

‍By integrating faith principles with mental health recovery steps, they offer a holistic approach that encompasses the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of wellness.

Churches can bring hope and healing to those facing mental health challenges both within the church and in the local community, through Christ-centered peer support groups, online forums, educational opportunities, and faith-filled mental health resources. With a keen focus on creating a bridge between faith and mental health treatment, the program is based on six Christian principles that connect faith and recovery, with a strong emphasis on empowering individuals to live fulfilling lives despite their mental health diagnosis.

Ingredients:

To replicate this project, your church will need to choose from one of two plans:

Option 1 - Access Plan
This is for any organisation who has the capacity to establish the Fresh Hope Ministry independently.

• A one-off subscription of $400 will give you access to all the resources you need to build and run services in your context.
• Alternatively, an annual subscription of $80 will give you access to resources and training online, with ongoing support.
• Any onsite assistance needed, such as training, will incur an additional cost of $150 per hour plus travel costs.
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Option 2- Development Plan
This plan is for an organisation that is unable to get the groups setup and running independently.

• The startup subscription of $1300 will give you the Access Plan, plus 3 months of support from the Fresh Hope team to set up, train and run the services for 3 months.  After the initial 3 months, we will come alongside and observe your team performance and establish if additional training is needed. We want to invest in you, to ensure that you establish an effective and sustainable ministry that is set up to last.
• An ongoing annual subscription of $80 will give you access to resources and training online, with ongoing support.
  

Method:

Steps to run this project include:

1. Signup to the relevant subscription option (outlined above) at freshhopeaustralia.org
2. Once your subscription is activated, Fresh Hope will get in touch with you immediately to take you through the next steps, if you select the Development plan.
3. If you select the Access Plan, you will get access to download your startup resources straight away. These include:
   • Training 2 facilitators online
   • Organising volunteers
   • Advertising group sessions
   • Starting your first peer support group
   

If you’d like to explore more about mental health and faith, you can explore Fresh Hope’s website to access other resources including courses, coaching and peer support groups. Visit freshhopeaustralia.org