How does Pilr work?
Pilr is a self-directed and interactive learning experience that guides a carer through the complexities of providing care for a family member and supports them to consider the information in the context of their own experiences.
The Pilr program will be run four times per year during the school term. Once referred to the program, the carers will be allocated to an Intouch Psychology clinician and contacted to discuss the program, confirm the start date and schedule the weekly counselling sessions. The carers are then provided with personalised access to the Pilr online portal where they will be given a module to work through each week. Each module will focus on a certain topic relevant to the kinship care experience and carers will progress through the week by reading information, watching videos and completing tasks. The information in each module is presented in an interactive and engaging format that considers the time constraints on carers and fits in with their needs. Following the completion of the week, carers are provided one hour of counselling with an experienced Psychologist or Social Worker to address the topics covered in the module and their input during the tasks. At the end of the program, the Intouch Psychology clinician will provide the support agency with a report confirming completion of the program and outlining any recommendations for further support.
Eight weekly online modules
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Carers will login to a secure online portal with their own access information to ensure their responses are kept confidential.
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Only the Intouch Psychology clinician and the carer will have access to their notes and responses.
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Throughout the week, carers will be encouraged to complete the online tasks through gentle reminders and support.
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For carers without internet access, a hard copy of the program will be sent by mail in the form of a workbook.
Face-to-Face counselling support
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Follow up counselling sessions will take place each week to support the carer to talk through their own experiences in a safe space.
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The aim is to provide carers an opportunity to address problems they face, emotions they feel and avoid carers feeling unsupported or burnt out.
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Sessions run for 1 hour per week and are scheduled at the discretion of the carer and the clinician.
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Counselling sessions will take place via video-link or phone.
Certification and recommendations
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Upon completion of the eight modules, the Intouch Psychology clinician will provide the support agency with a brief summary report confirming the carer’s completion of the program and identifying any further support needs.
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Any recommendations are provided in consultation with the carer so there are no surprises.
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The carers login will be securely closed and stored by Intouch Psychology Services upon completion of the program.
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Intouch Psychology Services is able to provide further counselling support if required.