Recovery College looks to grow presence in the Goldfields-Esperance region

The WA Recovery College Alliance will visit Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Esperance next week to try grow its presence in the region and help locals overcome life’s challenges and break down barriers. WARCA operates across the State and offers community-driven courses on a range of topics including health and wellbeing, creative and business skills, substance use and addiction. WARCA principal Naomi Carter said the college hoped to expand its services to the Goldfields-Esperance region, with the first step to build a community of educators who will host public courses. The college will host the Kalgoorlie-Boulder educator foundation program in-person on February 26 and March 19 at Central Regional TAFE. Goldfields-Esperance residents can also participate in the course online via Zoom, with six sessions in the coming weeks. The educator program will also be in Esperance, with the first in-person session on February 28. Ms Carter said the free program would give participants all the skills and knowledge required to be an WARCA educator. “There’s no prerequisite required (for the educator foundation program) other than a willingness and an interest to learn,” she said. “It’s absolutely critical that we have local people on board as educators because they ... know the community, they know the challenges, and they know the strengths. “That offers such credibility, validity and power to what they’re sharing, rather than someone who is talking from a theoretical space.” Ms Carter said once participants had completed the educator program, they could discuss with WARCA what course topics they believed would benefit the local community. “We don’t prescribe what courses people need to run because it’s based on what’s worked for them,” she said. “All of our courses are run by people who bring their own life experiences. “Everyone brings something of value. “And because we have such a diverse range of educators, people bring a whole range of different interests.” Ms Carter said the Recovery College model took an educational approach to helping people overcome life barriers, including mental health challenges, substance abuse and other life issues. “We take quite a progressive and contemporary view of mental distress,” she said. “We cover a lot of topics that relate to social determinants, relational power ... but also structural power, systemic power and how that can create barriers. “Our view is very much in line with the World Health Organisation which (acknowledges) that people who are requiring support need something that is rights based and takes into account that social determinants.” People interested in attending the Kalgoorlie-Boulder or Esperance educator foundation programs either in-person or online can email info@warecoverycollege.org.au or call 1300 285 751. Participants must be older than 18.