The 2020 Eva Burrows Scholarship has been awarded to a worthy recipient, Captain Erin Mains. Erin recently gave us an insight into the plans she has for the scholarship and what this will mean for her and for the community in which she lives, works and does life with.
What is your current role?
I am currently appointed to Moonee Valley Corps situated in Essendon. I have been here in some capacity for the last six years, first as a cadet volunteering and holding a position in the leadership team for Recovery Church. For the last four years I have been the minister of this Corps. My roles include ministering to an established traditional small congregation on Sundays and weekday activities. I minister to three nursing homes fortnightly and have been able to start a small bible study in one of the homes.
On Wednesday I run Recovery Church. This is a congregation of people often on the fringes of society. Recovery Church is held on Wednesday evenings, along with Bible studies during the week, PLP, garden group, small groups and outreach. I have built strong relationships with police and doctors in the area as well as with community groups whose focus is around recovery.
I work closely with other Salvation Army services, Foly house, Bridgehaven, Brunswick Corps, Open Doors, Flagstaff and James Barker House, these relationships help to facilitate the attendance of their residence to our Recovery service and provide a community for their clients where they are welcome and they belong. I volunteer, when possible, with the Salvation Army emergency services in times of emergency and I am an accredited chaplain with the VCC Emergency Ministry.
Why do you want to do a course in Therapeutic Arts?
The Masters of Therapeutic Arts Practice would help me open up a new world for many of those who have lost the ability to live in this world. The learning from the course would help create a new pathway for those who see the current pathways within society and the church far to structured and containing. When I do any creative segments at Recovery Church I have the whole community eager and participating. It allows for the community to express itself without the pain of words, without holding back because they may fear what others will say, the freedom within creativity lifts your soul.
“I am looking forward to gaining a formal understanding of the mental health field with the addition of an understanding of the 'lived experience' and how to safely express that experience.” Captain Erin Mains
This course would give me the skills to offer small group class to the community to help them come back into community. It would enable me to have a further understanding of how the mind works and the things we can do to help with mental health as well as drug and alcohol issues. A safe space that guides but enables self-expression.
What are you hoping to see as a result of this training?
Mental health is very misunderstood in our society. I would like to help break down the barriers and help people explore different methods that encourage them to enter back into the community and feel a sense of value. Often the people I interact with are already struggling to step out of a life cycle of self-destruction. The skills learnt in this course would help me understand the practical mental health needs that go hand in hand with recovery.
This type of knowledge can only help the Salvation Army, the chance to expand what we are already doing in the darkest areas of society, I think this is what God intends for us to do and to be part of. If we look at what took place after the devastating fires that destroyed Kinglake, the community was drawn back together using Art Therapy. It was used to create a community which was outward focused, and that focus also supported each other. It was creating artwork that enabled discussions, grieving and joy, and to this day holds value to both the Kinglake community and those who visit the area.
We as The Salvation Army need to be looking for opportunities to help heal our communities, to help grow our communities and to show that we are part of the communities we are in. This course would give me the accreditation to start to do this.