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12
Nov
2019
Healthy North Coast has announced an investment of $1 million for a new mental health service through their North Coast PHN funding, part of the Australian Government’s PHN program.
The new service, Footprints2Wellbeing, provides free psychosocial support to people with moderate to severe and/or episodic mental illness.
What is Psychosocial Support?
Psychosocial support aims to address both the psychological and social needs of individuals, families and communities. Some of the ways the Footprints2Wellbeing service will help people living on the Mid North Coast and Northern NSW include supporting community members to:
Healthy North Coast CEO Julie Sturgess explained that anyone aged 12 and over, who is not registered for the NDIS and who has intermittent moderate to severe mental illness and reduced psychosocial functioning, can access the new service.
“Signs of reduced psychosocial functioning can include experiencing difficulty maintaining personal or family relationships, housing, employment or other daily tasks, as a result of poor mental health,” said Ms Sturgess.
The Footprints2Wellbeing service is being delivered by a group of local partner organisations led by The Buttery and includes Wellways, Rekindling the Spirit and Werin Aboriginal Medical Service. These organisations will collectively service the Mid North Coast and Northern NSW from Tweed Heads to Port Macquarie.
Footprints2Wellbeing staff are based in Lismore, Grafton, Ballina, Kempsey, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, and also support people in surrounding areas and in smaller local towns via outreach visits.
Around 500 people are expected to benefit from these activities which will be available to community members who do not already have access to similar supports.
Many people experiencing significant challenges with their mental health have difficulty achieving their goals within the community. NCPHN’s 2018 Needs Assessment identified that people within the region with severe mental illness had a number of unmet needs. These include loneliness (68%), daytime activities (67%), psychological distress (57%), employment/volunteering (52%), relationships (36%), budgeting (36%), looking after the home (32%) and transport (31%).
Stuart Nunan, Manager Footprints2Wellbeing, said that not only would people with significant mental health challenges be able to access both individual and group capacity building activities, they would also be able to access NDIS application support.
“This program will go a long way towards helping people struggling with day-to-day activities. So many things that we take for granted, people with severe mental illness find very difficult.
“It’s very normal that people could benefit from coaching to enhance their everyday functioning and social capacity. We would like to reduce the stigma that can sometimes prevent people from reaching out for help.”
Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said, “Psychosocial support can include mental health counselling, education, spiritual support, group support, and many other such services.
“The services are a critical component of our mental health care system. They will make a dramatic difference to many people who are currently struggling to get through each day,” Mr Hogan said.
The government has made a strong commitment to the mental health of all Australians, and is ensuring people from all walks of life have affordable access to the services and support they need now, and in the future.
If you or someone you know would like to find out more about Footprints2Wellbeing, you can self-refer or simply get in touch for more information. Phone The Buttery on (02) 6687 1111 during weekday business hours.
Mental Health Support for Bush Fire Affected Residents
Extra Help on Hand for Bushfire Affected Communities to Support Health and Resilience
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands across our region, and pay our respect to Elders past, present and on their journey. We recognise these lands were never ceded and acknowledge the continuation of culture and connection to the land, sky and sea. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Land’s first peoples and honour the rich diversity of the oldest living cultures.
Strategic Priority Area: One team
North Coast is identified as the region most likely to be impacted by climate change in Australia and also forecasted greatest growth in those 65+.
Healthy North Coast takes a lead role in ensuring the older population and the sector that supports them are prepared for, can respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.
We have led eight regional disaster management capacity building workshops, bringing together SES, community organisations and the aged care sector.
We have also developed disaster preparedness tip sheets for both residential and community aged care providers.
Strategic Priority Area: One team
In May 2022, the NSW Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022. Effective from Tuesday, 28 November 2023, eligible people have the choice to access voluntary assisted dying.
Healthy North Coast has developed a webpage for both health professionals and consumers, with links to available information and resources.
Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind
Healthy North Coast has worked with people living with dementia, their families and local service providers to develop an information booklet that will help them connect with local and national supports along their journey.
The booklet includes commonly asked questions for people to ask their GP and/or specialist.
The resource is available in digital and printed copies, with more than 5,000 distributed across the region. An e-version is available to clinicians via the Dementia and Cognitive Impairment HealthPathway.
Strategic Priority Area: One team
The Deteriorating Resident Response Tool (DRRT) has been developed to guide RN’s in Residential Aged Care homes (RACHs) to better understand, anticipate and make clinical decisions responding to the deteriorating health of residents.
The objective of the DRRT is to give RACH staff clear information to triage and provide appropriate care for a range of residents’ health conditions, and, in turn, prevent unnecessary presentations to ED.
The tool has been designed together with a specialist geriatrician, consulting with stakeholders such as Residential Aged Care Managers, NSW Ambulance, GPs, and experts from Mid and North Coast LHDs.
The pilot commences in March with four participating RACHs. Evaluation measures will include effectiveness in building RN confidence and reported reduction in unnecessary hospitalisations. Findings will inform a future planned, region-wide implementation.
Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind
The Care Finders program is a free region-wide service to support vulnerable older people who have no-one else to help them, to learn about, apply for and set up support services.
Care finders can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment, and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community, both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.
On the North Coast, Healthy North Coast has commissioned four organisations to provide this important service: EACH, Carexcell, Lifetime Connect and Footprints.
Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now
Healthy North Coast commissions two service providers to deliver psychological therapies and supports for older people with, or at risk of developing, a mental illness and who are living in residential aged care homes (RACHs).
The aim of the program is to both provide direct support to residents and their families and carers, as well as upskill the RACH workforce to respond to the needs of residents presenting with mental health concerns.
Strategic Priority Area: Securing a Healthier Future
Delivered by Feros Care, the Healthy Me, Healthy Community program aims to build individual and community connections to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing in Port Macquarie.
The program helps people to connect with community, activities, supports and services that address their broader social determinants of health, as an alternative or supplement to a clinical approach.
Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now
Timely access to primary health care professionals, whether through face-to-face consultation or telehealth, is recognised as an issue for many Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs), that in some cases can lead to potentially preventable hospitalisations. RACHs require adequate telehealth facilities to support access to virtual consultations for their residents.
Project goals
Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now
Aims to provide people who have life limiting conditions the opportunity to exercise choice and receive high quality care at home, harnessing improved and better coordinated supports and services that meet their individual needs.
Program objectives:
These objectives will contribute to achieving the following intended overarching outcomes of:
Funding is open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.
Workforce Locum support and R&R funding criteria
Wellbeing Flexible Funding Criteria & Eligibility
| *Team Size (Total staff and contractors) | Funding Available |
| Small (1-5) | $500-$1500 |
| Medium (6-20) | $1500-$4000 |
| Large (>20) | $4000-$5000 |
