Centre for Mental Health

Government departments

Non-government organisations

General practitioners

Partnerships—Government departments

NSW Police

The Memorandum of Understanding between NSW Police and NSW Health was developed and released in 1998 to provide a framework for the effective management of people with a mental illness when the services of NSW Police and NSW Health, mental health services, and the Ambulance Service of NSW are required. It grew out of the need for a formalised system for cooperation between these important areas of service delivery, particularly when dealing with mental health crisis intervention.

The document is being reviewed and revised by an interdepartmental working group overseeing its implementation, taking into account models of local practice which have been working well and issues which have arisen locally in respect of implementation. Specific flow charts will be included to assist officers in all services to streamline responses to situations where all agencies are involved.

A primary objective of this Memorandum of Understanding is to improve the response to and outcomes in the management of mental health crises that involve responses from services.

The framework provided in this document will be intentionally broad. Specific protocols are to be developed at a local level using local service components and addressing local needs. This will ensure appropriate standards of care for people with mental health problems and mental health disorders and agreement on procedures for the management of crisis and high-risk situations.

NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care

The NSW Caring for Carers Mental Health Program is the NSW government’s commitment to supporting carers. The NSW Government Carers Statement aims to:

• develop initiatives which will provide enhanced services for carers in NSW
• strengthen existing measures to support carers in NSW
• promote the broader community's support for carers.

In March 1999, the NSW Government announced that an additional $12.9 million recurrent from 2000 had been allocated for supports for carers. Of this amount, $1 million recurrent has been allocated for supporting carers of people with mental illness. Under this arrangement, organisations with a local or Statewide focus have been able to seek financial assistance to provide services that support carers of people with mental illness, commencing in 2001.

Target groups for the project include carers who have specific needs unable to be met by existing State and Commonwealth services. The NSW Caring for Carers Mental Health Program has provided funding to organisations which may enhance and complement existing services and improve access to support and services to assist carers in their care giving role. To date, a total of nine government and non-government organisations have been funded as part of this program to undertake initiatives that support carers of people with mental illness.

NSW Department of Housing

Assisted Tenancies Project

The NSW Department of Housing has been engaged in developing a Supported Housing Strategy. As part of the strategy, the Assisted Tenancy pilot would provide a way of generalising and making more widely available good practice occurring already in specific projects that serve people with complex needs. The Assisted Tenancy trial would involve 40 clients - 10 nominated by the mental health services and 10 by the Ageing and Disability Department and 20 by the Department of Housing. Of the 40 clients, 20 would be existing social housing tenants with unmet support needs and 20 clients who are not in social housing but are eligible for it. The project will be piloted in South Western Sydney and the Central Coast.

Predictors of housing vulnerability and incipient homelessness for people with mental health disorders

This research is being conducted by the Urban Frontiers program at the University of Western Sydney in South Western Sydney and a site to be determined in Brisbane. The Centre for Mental Health has been asked to participate in the Steering Committee.

Stage one expansion of the Joint Guarantee of Service for people with mental health problems and disorders

This project will expand the JGOS partnership to include the Department of Community Services, SAAP program and services, the Department of Ageing, Disability and Homecare, disability services, OCH and the Aboriginal Housing Office within the NSW Department of Housing. It is envisaged that this partnership may be further expanded at a later stage to include other key stakeholders. This project is at a very early stage with interest being sought from key stakeholders prior to adding the project to the Partnerships against Homelessness agenda.

The Woolloomooloo Homelessness Project

The Woolloomooloo Homelessness Project is a Partnership against Homelessness Project. The Steering Committee of the project has been developing and monitoring strategies to reduce the number of people rough sleeping in the Woolloomooloo area and the related issues. The Centre for Mental Health has been actively involved in the Steering Committee of this project which has been led by the Department of Housing.

The Inner City Homelessness Action Plan

The Centre for Mental Health is participating in the Partnership against Homelessness Working Party, developing the Draft Action Plan for Inner City Homelessness. The Plan aims to enhance collaboration in service delivery and service management to address homelessness in the inner city and initially to target hotspots of rough sleepers in the inner city and move people into permanent housing options with support as necessary. Rough sleepers are a high priority due to their obvious vulnerability. The Action Plan aims to improve the quality of services rough sleepers receive from agencies, while at the same time increase the options available to meet their individual needs.

Mental Health and SAAP Linkages Project

The Linkages project is an initiative jointly funded by the Centre for Mental Health, NSW Health, and the Department of Community Services to develop, establish and trial linkages between the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) service providers and mental health service providers. The team will work in three areas of NSW to improve linkages between mental health service providers and SAAP services.

Models of Care for People with High Support Needs

This project will focus on the identification and development of models of care for people with high support needs.