Bringing that extra level of support to the Hunter

This is sponsored content for Hunter Primary Care.

Mahatma Gandhi once said: "The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members".

When it comes to mental health, even the most progressive and compassionate societies often come up short. Dealing with issues around mental illness can be difficult. Even if you have services in place and the people who need them have access, it isn't always enough.

If a person is in crisis or lacks the ability to sufficiently manage their own affairs, they can easily fall through the cracks. Furthermore, if a person has a complex set of needs, such as mental health and substance abuse issues or they're homeless and refusing treatment, services can disengage.

As a result, the person continues to lack stability and more pressure is placed on psychiatric facilities, hospitals and the criminal justice system. That's why the NDIS funds Specialist Support Coordination for people with a psycho-social disability. Locally, Hunter Primary Care are using their experience to provide the service and help people in crisis.

Hunter Primary Care has a lot of experience and expertise in this field. Prior to the NDIS, they provided a similar service through Hunter Partners In Recovery. The NDIS service provides participants with even more support than before, Mental Health Care Coordination Manager Sally Regan explained.

In exceptional and time limited circumstances, not only do they receive a Support Coordinator, they also receive a Specialist Support Coordinator and the support of a Mental Health Nurse. Together, the team can problem solve and help the participants navigate the often complex services landscape.

"We go the extra mile to engage with people and support them, when typically they may have had services withdraw and been placed in the too hard basket," Ms Regan explained.

"We do our best to maintain the engagement with people other services may not. We aim to make a difference for a group of people who have traditionally been highly marginalised."

Hunter Primary Care Specialist Support Coordinator Dannielle Greenwood also believes the NDIS service is benefiting participants. Ms Greenwood has extensive experience working in the disability sector and has completed a Masters in Emotional Disturbance and Behaviour disorders in adolescence.

She works closely with a number of participants on a daily basis and says the real benefit is that the service recognises that some people need specialised care and targets resources to where they're needed.

The service allows the Support Coordinator to work on the relationship with the participant and engage with them while the Specialist Support Coordinator is working behind the scenes for them. If the current support structures are not working, Ms Greenwood says she identifies new approaches that might help break the cycle.

"We work intensively with people who require an extra level of support, such as people who are coming out of the criminal justice system or a long stay in hospital. We also work a with people who are still involved in the criminal justice system and people who have recurring admissions," Ms Greenwood explained.

"Sometimes participants are living on the street and we need to track them down. They're not always stable and the point of Specialised Support Coordination is to work with the Support Coordinator intensively for a couple of months to get them back on the road to recovery," she continued.

"If the Support Coordinator is spending the majority of their time working with the client on crisis management, it is hard to make progress with recovery. That's where the extra layer of coordination really comes in. It allows us to work together."

The service is also assisted by the invaluable support of Hunter Primary Care's Mental Health Nurse, Sharon Grogan. Ms Grogan has extensive experience in clinical settings, including hospitals and community mental health teams.

Working closely with Ms Greenwood, Ms Grogan provides a unique perspective and assists with navigating the health system, providing clinical information including the side effects of medication and requests for psychiatric reviews.

For more information about the service contact Hunter Primary Care on (02) 4925 2259 or visit: https://hunterprimarycare.com.au/

This is sponsored content for Hunter Primary Care.