Personal help on the road to recovery
The Australian Government today announced it will double the reach of the Personal Helpers and Mentors program, expanding the number of sites from 76 to 155 to deliver more services to people with a severe mental illness.
A further 39 non-government organisations have been selected to deliver the program in 79 sites at a cost of almost $100 million.
This will create approximately 400 full-time equivalent positions across the country.
Mental illness can have a devastating effect on people’s lives leaving them feeling isolated, vulnerable and at risk of drug and alcohol misuse.
The program targets those most in need-people who cannot manage their daily activities or live independently because they have a severe mental illness.
Personal helpers and mentors work one-on-one with participants helping them achieve their goals-for example, how to manage every day tasks such as housekeeping.
They also work on improving relationships with family and friends and becoming more involved in community life.
And they make sure that participants are connected with essential clinical and support services.
By building confidence and increasing connections within the community, personal helpers and mentors can help overcome crippling social isolation.
People can refer themselves to the program, or their families and carers can encourage them to join or they can be referred to the program by a local health or community organisation.
So far more than 3,400 people have joined the program.
It is expected that new services will begin from April 2009.
The Government has committed $284.8 million from 2006-2011 for the program, with 76 sites currently operating around the country- 41 in metropolitan areas and 35 in rural, regional and remote locations.
| NSW – Site | Organisation | Amount $ |
|---|---|---|
| Albury/Corowa/Holbrook/Culcairn/Lockhart/Urana | Centacare Managers Incorporated | 1,339,890 |
| Brewarrina/Bourke/Mitchell | The Richmond Fellowship of NSW | 1,339,890 |
| Broken Hill | Centacare Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes | 1,339,890 |
| Camperdown and Rozelle | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| Coffs/Clarence | Coffs Harbour Employment Service | 1,339,890 |
| Cowra Bathurst | Aftercare | 1,339,890 |
| Eurobodalla Valley – Batemans Bay/Moruya | Schizophrenia Fellowship of NSW | 1,339,890 |
| Hawkesbury | Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW & ACT) | 1,210,800 |
| Inverell | The Benevolent Society | 1,339,890 |
| Katoomba/Upper Blue Mountains/Lithgow | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| La Perouse Maroubra | Sydney Anglican Home Mission Society Council | 1,210,800 |
| Lake Macquarie | New Horizons Enterprises Limited | 1,339,890 |
| Lower Blue Mountains/Springwood | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| Macleay/Hastings | New Horizons Enterprises Limited | 1,339,890 |
| Maitland/Cessnock | Aftercare | 1,339,890 |
| Marrickville | Neami Limited | 1,210,800 |
| Mudgee | The Benevolent Society | 1,339,890 |
| Murrumbidgee Griffith/Hay/Hillston/Leeton/Narrandera | Centacare Managers Incorporated | 1,339,890 |
| Narrabri | The Trustees for the Roman Catholic Church, Diocese of Armidale | 1,339,890 |
| Parkes/Forbes/Condobolin | The Richmond Fellowship of NSW | 1,339,890 |
| Queanbeyan/Yass | The Richmond Fellowship ACT Inc | 1,339,890 |
| Randwick and Kingsford | Sydney Anglican Home Mission Society Council | 1,210,800 |
| Redfern – Waterloo | New Horizons Enterprises Limited | 1,210,800 |
| Southern Tablelands – Crookwell/Goulburn | The Richmond Fellowship ACT Inc | 1,339,890 |
| Sutherland and St George Region | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| Taree-Manning | The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle trading as Centacare | 1,339,890 |
| Woy Woy (Central Coast 2) | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 34,886,130 | |
| Victoria – Site | Organisation | Amount $ |
| Grampians – 1 – Central Highlands | Mind Australia | 1,339,890 |
| Hume – Goulburn Valley | Mitchell Community Health Centre Inc | 1,339,890 |
| Hume – North East | Upper Hume Community Health Service Inc | 1,339,890 |
| Inner Urban East 2 Yarra | Inner East Mental Health Services Association Inc | 1,210,800 |
| Loddon Mallee – Campaspe | St Luke’s Anglicare Ltd | 1,339,890 |
| North and West – North West – Moreland | Moreland Community Health Service Inc | 1,210,800 |
| North and West – City of Brimbank | Norwood Association Inc | 1,210,800 |
| North and West – Darebin | Neami Limited | 1,210,800 |
| North and West – Melton | Norwood Association Inc | 1,210,800 |
| North and West – Northern – Whittlesea | Mind Australia | 1,210,800 |
| North and West – South West – Hobson’s Bay and Maribyrnong | Western Region Health Centre Ltd | 1,210,800 |
| North and West Hume 1 | Western Region Health Centre Ltd | 1,210,800 |
| North and West – South West – Wyndham | Western Region Health Centre Ltd | 1,210,800 |
| North East – Banyule and Nillumbik | Neami Limited | 1,210,800 |
| Peninsula North | Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria | 1,210,800 |
| Peninsula South and Westernport | Mental Illness Fellowship of Victoria | 1,210,800 |
| Southern Bayside | The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (VIC) | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 21,099,960 | |
| Queensland – Site | Organisation | Amount $ |
| Bundaberg | Bundaberg Skills Centre Incorporated | 1,339,890 |
| Cairns | Aftercare | 1,339,890 |
| Charters Towers | Supported Options in Lifestyle and Access Services Inc. | 1,339,890 |
| Coolangatta/Burleigh | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| Gladstone | Community Solutions | 1,339,890 |
| Inner Brisbane North | Communify Qld | 1,210,800 |
| Inner Brisbane South | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| Logan | The Benevolent Society | 1,210,800 |
| Mt Isa | Anglicare North Queensland Ltd | 1,339,890 |
| Northern Brisbane | Neami Limited | 1,210,800 |
| Northern Sunshine Coast | The Schizophrenia Fellowship of Queensland Inc | 1,210,800 |
| Redcliffe/Deception Bay | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| Southern Brisbane | Neami Limited | 1,210,800 |
| Toowoomba | The Schizophrenia Fellowship of Queensland Inc | 1,339,890 |
| Warwick | Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland Ltd | 1,339,890 |
| West Moreton | Aftercare | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 20,276,430 | |
| South Australia – Site | Organisation | Amount $ |
| Eastern Metropolitan Area | Mind Australia | 1,210,800 |
| Murray Bridge | Catholic Church Endowment Society | 1,339,890 |
| Northern Metropolitan Area | Catholic Church Endowment Society | 1,210,800 |
| Outer Southern Metropolitan Area | Mental Illness Fellowship of South Australia | 1,210,800 |
| Port Pirie | UnitingCare Wesley Port Pirie Incorporated | 1,339,890 |
| South East of South Australia | Mental Illness Fellowship of South Australia | 1,339,890 |
| Southern Metropolitan Area – Unley/Mitcham | Mental Illness Fellowship of South Australia | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 8,862,870 | |
| Western Australia – Site | Organisation | Amount $ |
| Balga/Central North Metropolitandistrict | Daughters of Charity Services (WA) | 1,210,800 |
| Clarkson/Upper North Metropolitan district | UnitingCare West | 1,210,800 |
| Fremantle | Daughters of Charity Services (WA) | 1,210,800 |
| Inner City district/Perth | Daughters of Charity Services (WA) | 1,210,800 |
| Joondalup/Upper North district | UnitingCare West | 1,210,800 |
| Kalgoorlie/Goldfields | Australian Red Cross | 1,339,890 |
| Mt Lawley/Inner City district | Daughters of Charity Services (WA) | 1,210,800 |
| Osborne Park/Central North | Daughters of Charity Services (WA) | 1,210,800 |
| Scarborough/Lower North Metropolitan district | UnitingCare West | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 11,026,290 | |
|
Tasmania – Site
|
Organisation
|
Amount $
|
| Brighton Lower Midlands and Central Highlands | Anglicare Tasmania Inc | 1,210,800 |
| Devonport/Kentish | Mission Australia | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 2,421,600 | |
|
ACT – Site
|
Organisation
|
Amount $
|
| Belconnen and Gungahlin | The Richmond Fellowship ACT | 1,210,800 |
| TOTAL | 1,210,800 | |
| TOTAL – AUSTRALIA | 99,784,080 |