Psychosocial Support
Healthy North Coast commissions the Psychosocial Support Program to help eligible people across the North Coast access short-term, recovery-focused support that builds daily living skills, social connection, independence and links to care.
Practical support for everyday life and wellbeing
People living with severe mental health challenges may need practical support to manage daily life, stay connected, take part in education or employment, and navigate services. The Psychosocial Support Program provides non-clinical, community-based support tailored to each person’s strengths, needs and goals.
Healthy North Coast commissions these services for eligible people who are not receiving similar support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme or a state or territory-funded service. Services are delivered by community-based organisations and complement clinical care.
This page helps health professionals, referrers and service partners understand what psychosocial support is, who it is for, referral pathways, and how the program connects with mental health, community and disability supports.
Our support
Healthy North Coast commissions practical, non-clinical psychosocial support for people with severe mental health challenges and psychosocial functional impairment.
Support may include service navigation, strengths-based assessment, individual support planning, social connection, skill building and help to explore longer-term options.
Pychosocial Support Program
Overview
The Psychosocial Support Program provides short-term support to help eligible people manage day-to-day life and stay connected to their community.
Healthy North Coast commissions local providers to deliver individual and group support that complements clinical care, community services, family and carer support, and longer-term supports where needed.
Who is it for?
The program is for people living in the community with severe mental health challenges and psychosocial functional impairment who need short-term, non-clinical support. It is for people who are not currently receiving similar support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme or a state or territory-funded service.
People can find out about local psychosocial support services through their local Primary Health Network pathway. They can also call the Medicare Mental Health Phone Service on 1800 595 212 for free advice, information and referral to a free or low-cost mental health service.
How does it support health professionals?
The program gives health professionals and referrers a pathway to community-based support for people whose daily functioning, social connection or service navigation needs may not be met through clinical care alone.
It can support care planning by helping people build practical skills, strengthen relationships and connect with general practice, mental health treatment, family and carer support, education, employment and other local services.
Key outcomes or benefits
The program aims to help people:
- build confidence, daily living skills and independence
- increase social connection and community participation
- work towards personal recovery, education, training or employment goals
- connect with appropriate services and longer-term supports where needed.
Our approach
Healthy North Coast works with people, carers, providers, primary care and system partners to strengthen psychosocial support across the North Coast.
Our approach recognises that people may need a mix of clinical, community, psychosocial and practical supports. Services are short-term, flexible and responsive to individual and regional needs.
We support this by:
- commissioning local providers to deliver one-on-one and group psychosocial support
- supporting clear referral, communication and service navigation pathways
- promoting safe, recovery-focused and person-centred care
- strengthening links between primary care, commissioned providers, Local Health Districts, community services and National Disability Insurance Scheme partners
- using service data, reporting and provider feedback to improve access, quality and continuity of care.
This supports a one health system approach, with psychosocial, clinical and community supports working together around the person.
Priority areas
Our current priorities are to improve access, coordination, equity and continuity of short-term psychosocial support across the North Coast.
Priority areas include:
- improving access to psychosocial support across the North Coast
- making referral pathways and service navigation clearer
- supporting recovery-focused, person-centred and strengths-based care
- strengthening coordination between primary care, commissioned providers, Local Health Districts, community services, National Disability Insurance Scheme partners, and education, training and employment supports
- supporting priority populations and people who experience barriers to care
- using data, reporting and continuous quality improvement to support safe and responsive services.
Who we work with
Healthy North Coast works with commissioned providers, general practice, Local Health Districts, community mental health services, non-government organisations, carers, families and state and territory partners. Together, these partnerships help people move between services safely and access support that fits their needs, goals, and circumstances.
A connected psychosocial support system
We aim to support a person-centred psychosocial support system where eligible people can understand their options, access practical support and stay connected to care as their needs change.
For people and communities, this means:
- support is matched to each person’s needs, strengths, goals, culture, preferences and circumstances
- pathways are clearer between primary care, mental health, community, psychosocial and disability supports
- people can access practical, recovery-focused support alongside clinical care
- services work together so people stay connected to care.
For referral pathways, eligibility information or service advice, contact Medicare Mental Health on 1800 595 212.