ConneCTErs Australia

Circle CTE

What is Circle CTE?

GROUP SUPPORT

Circle CTE is an innovative group therapy program for those suffering the effects of repeated head injury, with risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Our consumers involve people who are accessing investigations and/or treatment for probable CTE and their carers and/or personal support persons.

Circle CTE was developed by Dr Rowena Mobbs delivered at a later date under the name Concussion Connect. The program has a consistent aim of providing neurological and emotional wellbeing advice, fellowship, as well as connecting families to relevant local care.

Group Support Goals

CTE informed support for consumers
Brain health informed support for consumers
Comfort and awareness consumers are not alone
A safe structured environment for consumers to discuss CTE
Reducing the stress or emotional pressures on consumers
Working in partnerships with entities to continue promoting the need for expanded and robust support for consumers on the CTE journey clinically and personally

Delivery

Circle CTE will be run in each nominated located every 12 weeks per calendar year which will follow a schedule in advance. The schedule will include:

1st session: separated groups of patient and carers/family members
2nd session: separated groups of patient and carers/family members
3rd session: joint group of patient and carers/family members
4th session: end of year group (Christmas)

Circle CTE is coordinated by ConneCTErs Australia which is uniquely designed to be delivered in a co-facilitation model with a neurologist, neuropsychiatrist, neuropsychologist or a practitioner in a relevant field, and a lived-experience facilitator who has skills in promoting the emotional wellbeing for consumers. The co-facilitation model will ensure a combination of

a qualified practitioner being able to guide the session when there are neurological discussions and questions regarding CTE.
skilled live-experienced trainer to dually provide support for consumers around their experiences and emotional wellbeing.

Where is it?

Circle CTE is currently operational in three locations in Sydney and Brisbane. ConneCTErs Australia are currently actively expanding the service to all the capital cities and some regional areas.

Referral Pathway

Self-referral

CTE Personalised support (cteps) - individual support

What is CTEPS?

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

If you prefer personalised individual support, ConneCTErs Australia is committed to allocating you a volunteer peer support person. This support person is not a paid employee and will have lived experience as a person living with CTE, a person caring for someone living with CTE, or a person who is a part of the CTE community and has strong knowledge and understanding of CTE including the condition, the impacts and the support.

We know the power of connection and mutual experiences can assist people in coming together to navigate difficult times especially when they or their loved ones are experiencing a condition with multiple complexities impacting an individual's overall health.

Our CTEPS peer will be able to assist with

understanding of CTE
shared experiences
recognising the challenges of the symptoms and living with CTE
recognising the challenges of caring for someone living with CTE
feeling a sense of acceptance that this is a condition that is impacting others
reducing isolation and any shame associated with symptoms
having a contact person

A peer support person will not be a trained professional and cannot provide formal counselling services.

Please contact us today!

Do you think you have symptoms of CTE?

It has been commonly reported by people with CTE feeling as though they have been not heard, misdiagnosed, symptoms dismissed, and/or not progressed for further investigations and assessments for CTE (or Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome - TES) and other relevant neurological diseases.

Do you have a history of

head knocks?
brain injury/brain injuries?
playing contact sport?
engaging in activities that resulted in knocks to the head?
working in an industry that involved head knock exposure?
experiencing recurrent assaults?
repeated concussions?

If any of the above apply to you and you are experiencing any symptoms of CTE no matter your age, it is important to discuss with your General Practitioner and/or a health professional.

If you have tried to discuss your head knock or concussion history along with symptoms and nothing has progressed, please contact ConneCTErs Australia. We are not trained health professionals however with our knowledge and lived experience, we will try to point you in the right direction and support you to explore options.

ConneCTErs Australia - Consent

ConneCTErs Australia requires signed consent to engage with Circle CTE and CTEPS.

The purpose of participant consent is to ensure the CTE community are in agreeance with a support group therapy structure and/or individual peer support.
All parties who attend a support group therapy session must adhere to confidentiality of all participants as sensitive information will be shared amongst the group of people either living with CTE or caring for someone with CTE.
All parties who participate in individual peer support must respect their support person is a volunteer and may share sensitive and private information.
ConneCTErs Australia may use de-identified information captured in and from group therapy, to share with recognised partnering professionals and research entities to support and participate in the growth of knowledge, understanding and awareness into CTE.

Connecters australia support

Support is available - Contact Us Now