Minister for Mental Health Pru Goward today announced the NSW Government has committed $9 million to ensure an innovative program helping mothers with severe and complex mental illness and their young children will continue to operate in Western Sydney.
Ms Goward visited Wesley Mission’s residential service for mothers in Sadleir to provide this funding to Wesley Mission for its mental health support program called “Mums and Kids Matter”.
“Mums and Kids Matter is a one-of-a kind program directly helping women with severe and complex mental illness and their families. There is no program like it operating in Australia,” Ms Goward said.
“A key aspect of Mums and Kids Matter is the focus it has on addressing not only the health and parenting needs of participants but also the social, economic and accommodation issues facing mothers with severe mental illness and their families.
“In fact, our early data shows just how fantastic this program is. When they entered Mums and Kids Matter, 12 per cent of the mothers were homeless and a further 28% were at risk of homelessness. On exit from the program all mothers were housed,” she said.
Mums and Kids Matter delivers individually tailored, holistic, family-focused care and support to address the complex mental and physical health, parenting support, accommodation, vocation/education, disability and other co-morbidity needs of mothers with mental illness and their young children.
The CEO of Wesley Mission the Rev Dr Keith Garner said Wesley Mission was delighted that funding for the program has been continued.
“Mums and Kids Matter has been a wonderful example of collaboration between government and non-government specialist providers so that mothers with mental health issues have the opportunity to recover while being with their children,” Dr Garner said.
“The program is unique in that it provides an integrated approach to treatment and care that includes medical/biological, psychological, social and values based approaches. It also draws from the many support services of Wesley Mission.”