MadCap Café

It’s widely recognised that so called “meaningful activity” can be a great boost to recovery from a mental illness. And one of the things many people who are experiencing a mental illness want most is to be an active participant in society, to have a job. That makes perfect sense because the work we do not only brings in a pay check, it also makes us a part of our community. Its about social inclusion.

MadCap Café trains people so they can get the jobs they want.

MadCap Cafés are either owned or franchised by MadCap Enterprises, a unit of Ermha Inc. Ermha is a community based service that provides recovery focused support to people with a mental illness. MadCap’s first franchise is owned by Pathways Ltd, another community based mental health service located in Victoria’s Barwon region.

MadCap Cafe’s are associated with mental health services because recovery from mental illness is rarely straightforward. Getting the right support at the right time is crucial to successful training.

One reason MadCap Cafés are effective is that the training is flexible and tailored to each trainee. This means training can be adjusted as the symptoms of a mental illness fluctuate.

Ultimately MadCap Cafés are proving every day that people who are recovering from a mental illness can do great work and at the same time build the knowledge and experience that employers want.