An equine therapy program is transforming lives in Cape York by providing a safe place for people to address their mental health challenges such as anxiety and trauma. 

Some participants have called it “life-changing”, while others already want to come back. 

“The program created a safe space for me to share and express my challenges, negative self-talk, and patterns of behaviour,” a recent participant said. 

The two-day Horse Wisdom Equine Assisted Learning Program is an activity that forms part of the Cape York Place Based Mental Health Services, which is funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN).  

It is delivered by Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) Manager – Far North Mental Health Jos Middleton and equine assisted learning facilitator Emma Jackson, from Swift FNQ. 

Ms Middleton said the program, held at Wolverton Station in the Archer River region of Cape York, had been a great success since its inception in 2023.  

To date, seven sessions have been held at the station, covering topics such as the calm state, boundaries, relationships, thoughts, feelings, facing challenges, and awareness. 

“These sessions have helped participants struggling to cope with work-related stress, anxiety, traumatic experiences, and relationship challenges,” Ms Middleton said. 

“One client told me it was ‘better than having 50 therapy sessions’ and another one said, ‘it was life-changing, calming, and created lasting moments to take back to life’.  

“The success of this program shows the power of connecting with nature for wellbeing and how we can explore creative methods to support people, while also recognising that a one-on-one mental health consultation at a clinic isn’t right for everybody.” 

On completion, Ms Middleton said participants had less stress, a better understanding of their feelings and bodies, and improved coping skills for tough situations. 

“This is a social and emotional learning program that uses horses to explore participants’ feelings and thoughts, while providing them with an understanding as to how these link to different behaviours,” Ms Middleton said. 

“Horses are naturally very calming and easily make participants feel at ease. This helps to create a safe space, while maintaining an environment where people feel comfortable to observe, do, reflect, and share. 

“The combination of horse work, scenarios, and creative activities adds another dimension to the participants’ learning and growth.  

“One participant has already expressed interest in coming back to see how much they have grown.” 

Another participant recently said the program provided a “positive environment for learning self-discovery, initiating new skills, developing and reinforcing newly acquired skills and coping mechanisms.” 

Ms Middleton said at the end of day one, the facilitators identified themes for participants to focus on during day two, for example, how to be more assertive in relationships and how to physically and psychologically declutter. 

“It’s a relaxed pace with some creative activities, for example, we encourage journalling after most sessions to reflect on what the horses have taught the participants, how that can be translated into human relations, and any tools that have been shared,” she said. 

“During the activities we see participants strengthening their connections to self, community, others, and nature – this alone is enough to improve someone’s wellbeing.”   

North Queensland Allied Health Social Worker Akpene Attakey helps connect extremely vulnerable older persons to appropriate aged care and other local services they need so they can lead a quality life.  

She is a care finder. 

Recently Ms Attakey, who works at Better Together Community Support, helped an older person with a history of homelessness find emergency respite and a permanent place to live in a residential aged care home (RACH) in Cairns. 

Her client had been receiving emergency relief services from a local community centre, including food vouchers and parcels, transportation, laundry, and bathroom facilities, since 2021. At the time, they had expressed their preference for “sleeping rough” as it gave them more freedom and flexibility to travel and pursue their busking activities. 

However, Ms Attakey said thanks to the care finder program, the older person had now moved into a RACH in Cairns and was doing well. 

“After several conversations with community centre staff, the older person revealed they wanted to explore accessing an aged-care facility as they couldn’t continue to live on the streets,” Ms Attakey said. 

“The community centre then referred the individual to the care finder program, and we helped them to access My Aged Care, emergency respite, and a permanent place in an aged-care home. 

“It’s been a positive outcome, and they are doing well and enjoying their new home.  

“They’ve also stopped busking because they believed it encouraged their smoking habit.” 

Ms Attakey said without assistance from the community centre and care finder team the older person would have been admitted to hospital. 

“We had observed that their health was in decline with untreated health issues and wounds, and we knew they needed emergency respite,” she said. 

“By working with other health services and government departments, we were able to access respite services for the older person within two days. 

“Since admission to the aged-care home, the client has reported they are now sleeping well without the constant worry for their safety and their health has improved significantly with access to regular meals, medication, and personal care.” 

The care finder program is funded by Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) and delivered in the Cairns and Hinterland region by Footprints Community through Better Together Community Support. Footprints Community also delivers the program in the Mackay region. 

Under the program, a network of “care finders” was established. Care finders are professionals in the community who can provide intensive, face-to-face support for vulnerable older persons who are isolated, or have no support person, and who are experiencing barriers to receiving the necessary support, including homelessness, mental health challenges, and alcohol or drug dependence. 

“As a care finder, I was able to help this person in accessing the services they needed to get emergency respite in a residential aged care home, first to help them off the streets and then to attend to their health concerns,” Ms Attakey said. 

“It’s important to show compassion and understanding when you are helping someone to get the assistance they need, especially those who may be vulnerable.” 

The care finder program is part of a suite of aged-care reforms in response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.