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MadCap Cafe employs a mix of people, some of whom have a mental illness. People with a mental illness who work at MadCap Cafe are called "trainees" because they are part of MadCap's transitional employment traineeship program.

So, here it is in a nutshell...

For our trainees, on-the-job training at MadCap Cafe is a 2-step process. Here are the steps:

1. Join our pre-vocational day program. This program will assist people to acquire the basic skills and confidence they need to begin their MadCap Cafe traineeship. Some people will complete this step fairly quickly and for others it might take more time. It depends on where each person is on their recovery path.
2. Start transitional employment training at MadCap Cafe.

And here's how to get to the first step :

Enquiry – Call (03 9706 7388) and express your interest in a MadCap Cafe traineeship and discuss this with the duty worker.
Referral – If you are eligible for our pre-vocational program, the duty worker will send you a referral form for you to complete with your medical professional.
Information Session – You will be invited along to our Information Session where you can get the whole story. You are welcome to bring a support person with you and bookings are essential as places are limited.
Assessment – This is to establish whether our pre-vocational program is right for you.
Join the Program – You will be allocated a support worker who will develop a program plan with you. They will help you to familiarise your self with the whole program and how it can work for you.
Link to DES or JSA – A DES is a Disability Employment Service. A JSA is a Job Support Agency. If you are not already linked into one of these services, your support worker will assist you to do this.

How long does the traineeship go for?
Following the pre-vocational step each trainee works at MadCap Cafe for a total of 6 months. Trainees sometimes take time off when the symptoms of their mental illness become more severe but they can come back to the cafe as their recovery progresses. So, for some trainees the 6 month program can take longer.

In order to join the MadCap Cafe transitional employment training program you must:

• have a professionally diagnosed mental illness.
• live in and around the City of Greater Dandenong or the Shires of Casey or Cardinia.
• be between the ages of 16 and 65.

Questions? Call (03) 9706 7388 or email reception@ermha.org