Sites: Bayside, Caboolture, Ipswich, South Brisbane
Organisation: Open Minds Australia
Open Minds Australia (Open Minds) is a not-for-profit organisation based in South Brisbane and since 1912 has been providing support services to individuals in the community which are focussed on achieving mental health and wellness.
Open Minds believes that every person has the right to live independently, in their community of choice, and provides individualised support services to clients to maximise their participation and integration within their community. Open Minds takes a consumer driven, strengths-based, recovery approach to service delivery.
The services provided by Open Minds include Lifestyle Support Services, Acquired Brain Injury Support Coordination, the Personal Support Program and Open Minds Employment.
Open Minds has an established outreach support service in thegreater Brisbane area and has strong connections with other government and non-government organisations including clinical support, accommodation, disability, youth, legal, personal care, education and drug and alcohol services.
Open Minds currently delivers the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program in the Inner Brisbane demonstration site.
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Site: Fraser Coast
Organisation: Community Solutions Inc.
Community Solutions Inc. was established in 1996. It operates throughout the Brisbane North (including Caboolture), Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay areas providing a diverse range of local, state and federally funded support services particularly in the areas of case management, employment and training and on-street outreach services.
Community Solutions Inc. has extensive organisational and staff experience, skills, processes and protocols to support the provision of case management and support services for people with a mental illness including both adults and young people. This experience has been developed within the designated service area through the following state and federal funded programs, including:
- Personal Support Program
- Youth Support Coordinator
- Job Placement Employment and Training (JPET)
- Youth Pathways Program.
Community Solutions Inc. through its Youth Support Coordinator Program has been a reference group member of the SC-Koping Network, which supports young people living in families that are affected by mental illness. This reference group is facilitated by the State funded Child and Youth Mental Health Services, with Community Solutions Inc., Adult Mental Health Services and other members collaboratively working with adults that have a mental illness and their families, through coordinating local and regional responses, and education and peer support programs.
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Site: Mackay
Organisation: Ozcare
Ozcare has been delivering health and human services to clients across Queensland for 10 years. Prior to 1996, services were operated under the auspice of St Vincent de Paul. Ozcare is one of Queensland's largest providers of community health, care and social services including accommodation services, community nursing, homeless programs, aged care, drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, women's refuges and community mental health services.
Ozcare's community mental health services are located in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Bundaberg, Mackay, Townsville, Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton. These services are recovery focused, strengths-based and involve families and carers. The services offer whole of life support to clients with Ozcare providing case management and coordination, linking clients to clinical and community services that support their independence, community connection and recovery.
Ozcare has strong connections with a range of community partners including services that provide financial, legal, employment, tenancy support, welfare, social connectedness, health care and accommodation.
Ozcare delivers the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program in the Sunshine Coast and Townsville demonstration sites.
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Site: Rockhampton
Organisation: Australian Red Cross Society
The Australian Red Cross Society (Red Cross) is part of the world's largest humanitarian organisation and has branches in every state with over 50,000 members and volunteers.
Red Cross has delivered a range of programs that support people with mental illness, including:
- a national partnership with beyondblue: the national depression initiative which develops and delivers training programs and resources to enable young people to educate and support their peers about mental health issues and particularly depression and anxiety.
- the MATES (Mentally ill people and Their Equal Supporters) program which provides social support to people with mental illnesses. MATES matches people who have a mental illness with volunteers in the community and then supports them to engage in social activities together.
- the Save-A-Mate (SAM) program which provides drug, alcohol, and mental health education to young people. At the request of Indigenous communities Red Cross has adapted the program to respond to their needs and is training young Indigenous people to support and educate their peers on mental health issues.
Red Cross delivers the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program in the Katherine and Top End demonstration sites in the Northern Territory.