Emergency support
If there is an immediate danger or medical emergency, call Triple Zero.
Call 000
Recovery Matters Redlands✦ RECOVERY MATTERS REDLANDS
Recovery.
Support.
Connection.
Built from lived experience—not from a textbook.
I'm Mandy. If addiction is affecting you or someone you care about, you can talk to someone who has lived it and understands how hard that first step can be. No judgement. No shame. Just real support, local connections and hope.
You do not have to be clean or have everything figured out.You are welcome to reach out exactly where you are.
✦✦
SUPPORTINGRedland Bay &
SMB Islands〰
SMB Islands〰
HOPE ✦ CONNECTION ✦ COURAGE ✦ COMMUNITY ✦ CREATIVITY ✦
START YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE
NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN?
Choose one small
next step.
You do not need to have everything worked out. Pick the option that feels most useful today.
01NEED SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS?
Talk directly with Mandy
Start with a respectful, one-to-one peer-support conversation grounded in lived experience.
Reach out →02WANT A PRACTICAL TOOLUse a free recovery worksheet
Download a plan, check-in, coping menu or support network map.
Choose a worksheet →03SUPPORTING SOMEONE ELSE?Help for families and loved ones
Find practical guidance for communication, boundaries and your own wellbeing.
View family support →04LOOKING FOR A SERVICE?Find local and 24/7 support
See alcohol and drug, mental health, gambling and youth support options.
Find local services →01 MEET MANDY · MY STORY
From surviving to
supporting others.
I'm Mandy. Recovery Matters Redlands was created from lived experience and the belief that people need honesty, encouragement and genuine human connection—not judgement or shame.
But change is possible.
Recovery gave me the opportunity to rebuild—one step, one choice and one day at a time. Today I help people across Redlands and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands find practical information, local services and genuine connection.
MY PROMISEReal talk. No judgement. Practical support. Hope that belongs to you.
Read Mandy's full story
My journey has not been easy. I know what it is like to experience addiction, homelessness, prison and the feeling that life has gone completely off track. For a long time, I was caught in a cycle that felt impossible to escape.
Recovery gave me the opportunity to rebuild my life—one step, one choice and one day at a time. It was not about suddenly having everything figured out. It was about accepting support, learning from my past and continuing to move forward, even when things were difficult.
Today, I use my lived experience to support people who may be facing some of the same challenges I once faced. I understand how hard it can be to ask for help, especially when you feel judged, ashamed or unsure about where to turn.
That is why I created Recovery Matters Redlands: a welcoming place where local people can find recovery information, alcohol and other drug services, mental health support, community programs and other local resources.
If my story helps even one person believe that change is possible, then sharing it is worthwhile.
“Your past does not have to decide your future.”
02 FREE RECOVERY DOWNLOADS
Helpful tools to use
at your own pace.
Open, download or print these free A4 recovery workbooks. No sign-up is required.
01
View all 14 free recovery worksheets →Relapse Prevention Plan
Notice patterns, build a coping menu and plan your support.
Download PDF ↓02Support Network Map
Map the people, places and services that can stand beside you.
Download PDF ↓03My Reasons for Recovery
Reconnect with what matters to you and the life you want to build.
Download PDF ↓Important: These resources provide general peer-support information and personal reflection prompts. They are not medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or a substitute for qualified professional care. You choose what to write and what support feels right for you.
03 LOCAL RECOVERY GUIDES
Useful information for
our local community.
Clear, judgement-free guidance for people in recovery, families and supporters throughout Redlands and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
LOCAL SUPPORT
Recovery Support in Redland Bay
Understand the peer support, practical tools and community connections available locally.
Read the guide →ISLAND COMMUNITYRecovery Support across the SMBI
Support information for Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra Islands.
Read the guide →FAMILIES & FRIENDSSupport for Families and Loved Ones
Practical ways to communicate, set boundaries and look after your own wellbeing.
Read the guide →GAMBLING SUPPORTGambling Help in Redlands & SMBI
Free confidential counselling, peer meetings and practical ways to regain control.
Find gambling help →MENTAL HEALTHMental Health Support in Redlands & SMBI
Urgent contacts, public mental health services and support for young people.
Find mental health support →DRUG & ALCOHOL SUPPORTWhere to Get Help on the SMBI
Telephone, telehealth and face-to-face options for Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra Islands.
Find support →AFTER A RELAPSEHelp After an Alcohol or Drug Relapse
Immediate safety guidance, confidential support and practical next steps without judgement.
Get help after a relapse →FOR RUSSELL, MACLEAY, LAMB & KARRAGARRA
Travelling to support?
Plan your island ferry trip, then confirm important journeys with Translink before leaving.
04 GET SUPPORT
CLEAR OPTIONS · LOCAL CONNECTION
Start with the support
that feels right.
For people affected by addiction, people in recovery, families and supporters across Redland Bay, Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra Islands.
ADIS Queensland
Free, confidential alcohol and other drug information, counselling and referral support.
Call 1800 177 833Visit ADIS ↗Lifeline
Free and confidential support by phone, text or online chat, any time of day or night.
Call 13 11 14Text 0477 13 11 14Alcoholics Anonymous
Free peer-support meetings are available in Cleveland and surrounding Redlands areas, with online options also available.
Find a nearby AA meeting ↗View gambling support services ＋
GAMBLING SUPPORT
Free help in Redlands and online.
Support is available for people who gamble and for family members or loved ones affected by someone else's gambling.
Redlands Gamblers Anonymous
Bayside Community Church, MacArthur Street and McDonald Road, Alexandra Hills. Free open meeting.
Check current meeting details ↗Dunwich Gamblers Anonymous
Dunwich Community Hall, 6 Ballow Road, North Stradbroke Island. Free open meeting.
Check current meeting details ↗Gambling Helpline Queensland
Professional counselling, crisis support, referrals and help with self-exclusion.
Call 1800 858 858Chat online ↗BetStop
Free Australian Government service that blocks access to licensed online and phone betting providers.
Visit BetStop ↗View youth drug and alcohol services ＋
YOUTH DRUG & ALCOHOL SUPPORT
Support for young people
in and around Redlands.
Young people, families and support workers can contact these services directly to ask about support and referrals.
headspace Capalaba
Support with alcohol and other drugs, mental health, health, work and study. A GP referral is not required.
Call 1300 851 274View service ↗Bayside Addiction & Mental Health
Alcohol and other drug services, including child and youth mental health support, based in Cleveland.
Call 07 3489 2777View service ↗QuIHN Redlands
Counselling and support for people affected by substance use, as well as families and carers. Ask about youth eligibility.
Call 07 3607 7269View service ↗Clarence Street
Free specialist youth alcohol and other drug support, including community and more intensive programs.
Call 07 3163 8400View service ↗How peer support works
Call or email for lived-experience encouragement, practical resources and community connections. Messages are answered when available and this service is not monitored 24/7.
Your privacy
Your privacy is respected. Please share only what feels necessary and avoid sending highly sensitive information by email or text. Peer support is not counselling, medical care or an emergency service.
05 OPTIONAL PAID RECOVERY RESOURCES
PRACTICAL DIGITAL WORKBOOKS
More support for your
next step.
Explore printable resources created by Mandy from lived experience—for people in recovery, families and supporters. Your free worksheets will always be available.
FULL RANGE · BUY DIRECTShop Recovery Matters on Payhip ↗ALSO AVAILABLE ON ETSYVisit RecoveryByMandy ↗
Instant digital downloads. No physical products will be posted. Purchases help Mandy create more practical recovery resources and keep free worksheets available.
06 · CONNECTION CAN START WITH ONE MESSAGE
Talk to someone
who has lived it.
I will listen without judgement, help you think about your next step and connect you with appropriate local support. You do not have to tell your whole story or commit to anything—starting with one conversation is enough.
Email: recoverymattersredlands@gmail.com · Phone: 0497 562 671Lived-experience peer support and service navigation. Not an emergency, counselling or clinical service. Messages are answered when Mandy is available.
i
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Disclaimer
Recovery Matters Redlands provides general information, lived-experience peer support and personal reflection resources. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, counselling or treatment, and it is not a substitute for qualified professional care.
This website is not monitored as an emergency service. If there is immediate danger or a medical emergency, call Triple Zero (000). For free, confidential alcohol and other drug information and support in Queensland, contact ADIS on 1800 177 833.