Supporting people with mental illness in Ceduna.

People with severe mental illness in Ceduna will have greater access to support services and other practical assistance thanks to more than $1 million in funding for Centacare Catholic Family Services SA.

Minister for Disability Reform Jenny Macklin said the new funding and support was part of a $4.1 million boost for remote sites under the Commonwealth Government’s Personal Helpers and Mentors program (PHaMs).

“The Labor Government is investing more than $1 million over two years to 30 June 2015 for Centacare Catholic Family Services to deliver much needed mental health support through a new PHaMs site in Ceduna,” Ms Macklin said.

“This investment will see 5 new personal helpers and mentors employed, who will provide practical assistance for around 45 people with mental illness in the Ceduna region and providing outreach to the Yalata and Oak Valley communities.

“The new service will offer one-to-one and ongoing culturally sensitive support to help people with mental illness to participate economically and socially in the community.

“By building confidence and increasing connections within the community, personal helpers and mentors can help participants overcome social isolation.

“Personal helpers and mentors can also help people set and achieve goals, such as finding stable housing, improving their relationships with family and friends, and finding and keeping a job.

“The program also offers training for local people to undertake PHaMs team roles which will provide more jobs for remote communities.

“Centacare has delivered essential wellbeing services in rural and remote areas of South Australia for over 16 years.

“I’m pleased it will be able to expand its services in the Ceduna region to include this fundamental mental health support.

“This new funding builds on the 175 PHaMs services currently operating across the country and is part of this Government’s historic $2.2 billion national investment in mental health reform.”