Assisting long-term patients to live in the community

Mental health care in hospital will always be available for people who require hospital level clinical and disability support.

• The transition to community living will be guided by each person’s particular strengths, needs and wishes and will be supported with tailored housing, clinical care and psychosocial support.
• New community residential and other service options will be designed for people currently receiving long-term hospital care.

Adjusting to community-based care

Mental health clinicians will work with people to determine how they may be safely transitioned into care in a community setting (or appropriate inpatient setting) based on their strengths, needs and wishes. The international experience and the experience from other jurisdictions is that people who have been in long-term inpatient care can be supported to make the decision to transition to community-based care.

Working with families and carers

Families and carers will be offered the opportunity to support a person’s decisions as they move into the community. If a person has lost contact with their family, reconciliation will be investigated.

More information

Pathways to Community Living fact sheet​​