About us
Fresh Hope Australia - Our Story since day one
VISION: To create a community where individuals affected by mental health challenges can live full, rich, and purpose-filled lives with wellness and wholeness. To see the faith community well equipped to care for their people with mental health challenges and to help them care for people in their community.
MISSION: To empower and equip people with mental health diagnoses and their loved ones to thrive despite their challenges through Christ-centered peer support groups, online forums, educational opportunities, and faith-filled mental health resources.
Christ-Centered Approach
Faith-Based Principles
Peer Support Model
Holistic View
Biblical Foundation
Fresh Hope Australia Pioneer
How does Fresh Hope Integrate Faith into Mental Health Support?
FRESH HOPE INTEGRATE FAITH INTO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN SEVERAL WAYS:
Christ-Centered Approach
Fresh Hope is described as a “Christ-centered wellness approach to mental health recovery”. The organisation emphasizes that hope rooted in faith is a powerful antidote to the hopelessness often experienced with mental health challlenges.
Faith-Based
Principles
The program is based on six tenets (principles) that connect faith and recovery principles. These tenets empower individuals to live “full and rich faith-filled lives” despite mental health diagnoses.
Spiritual Component
Fresh Hope recognizes that wellness encompasses mental, physical and spiritual aspects. Their support groups provide a safe space for people to process their pain and experience “faith-filled hope”.
Biblical Foundation
The organisation cites Bible verses like Philippians 4:13 as inspiration: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength”. This reinforces the idea that faith can be a source of strength in mental health recovery.
Church Involvement
Fresh Hope challenges Christian churches to address mental health needs in their communities and provide compassionate, understanding support. This integrates mental health care into faith communities.
Peer Support Model
The program uses a peer-to-peer model, where people who have “been there” and are now living well share their experiences of integrating faith and mental health recovery.
Holistic View
Rather than separating faith and mental health treatment, Fresh Hope aims to be a “bridge” that guides people from diagnosis to living well, incorporating both medical treatment and spiritual support.
Complementary
By weaving faith principles throughout their approach, Fresh Hope offers a distinctly Christian perspective on mental health support and recovery. The organization sees faith as complementary to, rather than separate from, other aspects of mental health care.
Rev. Inoke Veamatahau
and here is my story…
WHERE IT ALL BEGINS
As a PASTOR My journey in establishing this organization stems from my 20 years of experience as a practical theologian and ordained pastor, specializing in delivering faith community-based holistic care in local churches. As a pastoral care pastor, working with people with mental health issues was always a challenge and I always wanted to explore ways to care for these people. I continually search and enquire and couldn’t find anything until I came across the work of Fresh Hope (www.freshhope.us) in 2018.. They recognize that wellness encompasses mental, physical, and spiritual aspects, and peer support groups provide a safe space for people to process their pain and experience faith-filled hope. They have been around for many years, impacting and changing thousand lives.
As CEO, I’ve guided Fresh Hope to become a bridge that helps people move from diagnosis to living well, incorporating both medical treatment and spiritual support. My passion for integrating faith and mental health support led me to create Fresh Hope, a Christ-centered wellness approach to mental health recovery. Our program is based on six tenets that connect faith and recovery principles, empowering individuals to live full and rich faith-filled lives despite mental health diagnoses. We use a peer-to-peer model, where people who have “been there” and are now living well share their experiences of integrating faith and mental health recovery.
As a RESEARCHER
As a RESEARCHER, I’ve also been pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Melbourne, focusing on the role of Christian faith communities in promoting health in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. This research aims to explore faith-health collaborative models of partnership that can effectively address health equity and improve the well-being of vulnerable populations in the community. Mental health is one of them and Fresh Hope Australia challenges Christian churches to address mental health needs in their communities and provide compassionate, understanding support.
As we continue to grow, I’m committed to expanding our reach and impact, helping more individuals find hope and healing through our Christ-centered approach to mental health support throughout Australia and the neighboring countries in the Pacific.
Rev Dr Inoke Veamatahau – CEO
Join our Fresh Hope Australia groupe
Our groups at Fresh Hope Australia provide a safe and welcoming space for individuals to connect, share, and grow together.
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