An innovative service for people living with a severe mental illness has been launched in South Western Sydney.
South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) has commissioned the Connector Hub South Western Sydney, a flexible new psychosocial service helping bridge the gap for people with a severe mental illness who are not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The service is delivered by One Door Mental Health, a provider of expert mental health programs in NSW, in partnership with Flourish, a dedicated mental health and wellbeing service.
Its participants will benefit from non-clinical individualised support.
The Connector Hub will also offer a number of structured programs and group-based activities forging social connections and improving health and wellbeing.
SWSPHN chief Executive Officer Keith McDonald said the new service was a welcome addition to the suite of mental health services the PHN funded across South Western Sydney.
“A personal approach to assisting people using the service to access appropriate, relevant and timely support is a key feature of the program,” he said.
“More than $2.6 million in funding will go into the three-year program, set up following an extensive needs assessment of the South Western Sydney area last year, conducted in consultation with a wide range of mental health services, service-users, carers and peers.”
Dr McDonald said mental health peer workers and people with lived experiences of a mental illness would play an important role in leading and supporting participants through the program’s “buddy’’ system.
“The program is tailored to a participant’s personal situation and individual needs with a focus on strengthening connections and promoting pro-active engagement to achieve recovery goals,” he said.
