Topic: Mental health

We’re putting the spotlight on mental health in this monthly feature. Learn more about SWSPHN commissioned services, projects and events, and find guidance on navigating the mental health system. 

This month we’re highlighting Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney.

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What services and supports does your service provide?

Lifeline coordinates and offers a range of suicide prevention and aftercare services including crisis support (13 11 14), support groups, and suicide prevention training. This includes:

• Lifeline Crisis Support Suicide Aftercare Program provides telephone-based support to those experiencing suicidal distress and/or have attempted suicide.
• Gatekeeper Training providing the necessary skills to assist the community to be resilient.
• ECLIPSE Support group, an eight-week program for those who have attempted suicide.
• Suicide Bereavement Support, a four-week closed or monthly open group program for those who have lost someone to suicide and would like a safe place to share their thoughts and feelings.
• Suicide Prevention Regional Hub providing a directory of local community services that can be accessed online.
• Lifeline Mobile Café providing mobile outreach crisis support to those who may not necessarily access traditional methods of support.
• Lifeline financial counselling for those who may need assistance with financial concerns.

What are your service location/s and service hours?

• 13 McPherson Road, Smeaton Grange
• 13 11 14 – phone, text and online messaging 24/7
• Suicide prevention and financial counselling – 8.30am to 4.30pm
• Gatekeeper training is delivered throughout South Western Sydney and is advertised on Eventbrite for all locations and hours

What is the eligibility criteria to access your service and are there any targeted supports to specific population groups?

Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney’s Crisis Support Suicide Aftercare Program and ECLIPSE Support group are available to people over the age of 18 residing within South Western Sydney who have recently been discharged from hospital following a suicide attempt, or who are experiencing a suicidal crisis. The Suicide Bereavement Support Group is available to anyone over the age of 18 who has lost a loved one to suicide.

Gatekeeper training is available to anyone aged 18 and over residing/studying/working within South Western Sydney and interested in increasing their knowledge and skills with suicide awareness and mental health training. Tailored workshops have been arranged for senior high school students and specific cultural groups.

Does your service provide support to people who don’t speak English as a first language? If so, what supports are available?

We provide support to all people who are eligible for our programs, including people who don’t speak English as their first language. In such instances we will work with a free interpreting service and in collaboration with other stakeholders.

Our workshops can be tailored via an interpreter, when necessary. A workshop was recently delivered at the Fairfield Women’s Health Service for women from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse refugee backgrounds, and an interpreter was collaboratively engaging with participants during the workshop.

Support can be provided through the Translating and Interpreting Service and in collaboration with other services.

How can people be referred?

People can be referred into the Lifeline Aftercare program through the Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney website or referral form. ECLIPSE and Suicide Bereavement Support groups are self-referrals by contacting Lifeline Macarthur and Western Sydney. Accessing Gatekeeper training can be found through Lifeline Macarthur Eventbrite.

A guide to the causes and impacts of psychosocial ill health and the services South Western Sydney PHN fund to support our community. This article will help you choose which service is best for you and how to access them.

 

What is psychosocial health?

Psychosocial health refers to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of a person. Stress from these three areas can interact to cause mental ill health and can impact on a person’s ability to function day-to-day.

What are common causes of stress?

What is stressful for one person may not be for another. However, there are some events and environments which typically cause stress:

• Changes to family: marriage, pregnancy, death, divorce, a new child
• Work environment: job change, job loss, promotion, work overload, conflict at work, business failure, employee strike
• Living environment: new house, relocation to a new community, loss of a home, neighbourhood crime
• Physical environment or conditions: noise, pollution, traffic, violence, illness, disability, injury, pain, cold, heat, lack of sleep, hunger, malnutrition, natural disaster, unsafe surroundings, physical abuse or neglect
• Economic environment: poverty, escalating bills, unanticipated expenses, theft
• Social environment: isolation, family or peer demands, forced separation (such as from military service, prison, abandonment or conflict), grief, emotional abuse or neglect, legal entanglements, bullying, difficult roommates or neighbours
• Lack of control or the inability to predict situations can add to the stress

How can mental health impact on a person’s life?

Mental ill health may restrict a person’s ability to:

• be in certain types of environments
• concentrate
• have enough stamina to complete tasks
• cope with time pressures and multiple tasks
• interact with others
• understand constructive feedback
• manage stress

 

What is the role of South Western Sydney PHN?

The Federal Government funds South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) to commission community-based organisations to deliver services which provide psychosocial support.

This support helps:

• connect people with the clinical care and other services they may need
• build their capacity in managing day-to-day activities
• strengthen their social skills, friendships and relationships with family
• increase their educational, vocational and training skills

 

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Psychosocial services commissioned by SWSPHN

Our psychosocial support services are tailored to meet the needs of the South Western Sydney Community. Some of the services we fund include:

 

Mental Health Service Navigator

The Mental Health Service Navigator is a free initiative for community members to simplify the process of linking people living with complex or persistent mental illness with local services.

The Mental Health Service Navigator works with individuals (and healthcare providers) to find the best services and supports to help improve their wellbeing by:

• Determining what local clinical, psychosocial, and primary care support and services may be available to help. This could include social groups, psychological therapy, mental health professionals, housing support, financial counselling, carer supports, or physical health needs.
• Providing information, advice and referrals for other health professionals, the NDIS, or other state funded services.

Read more

 

Connector Hub

Connector Hub supports people living with severe mental illness to achieve their goals and improve wellbeing.

The client works with a recovery support worker and peer worker to develop goals and participate in a range of activities such as:

• Social activities, outings and connecting people in your community
• Groups focusing on understanding mental illness, improving physical health, and living the life you want
• Individual support and assistance
• Links to services, supports and health professionals which can help
• Support to reach education, employment end financial goals

People can contact the service directly or be referred by friends, family or healthcare providers.

Read more

 

 

The Way Back Support Program

The Way Back Support Service provides non-clinical care and practical support to people after a suicide attempt or suicidal crisis.

A support coordinator or peer support worker guides the client through safety planning and a personalised aftercare program for up to three months. This includes connecting them with services to address the issues leading to their distress. This can mean anything from financial advice, to connecting them with community groups or helping them attend healthcare appointments.

Referrals to this service come through the Liverpool and Campbelltown hospital emergency departments.

Read more

 

You in Mind

You in Mind provides up to 12 hours of free support from a mental health professional such as a psychologist or mental health accredited social worker at a time which suits the client.

It is for people with mild to moderate mental health problems/illness and from one of these eligible population groups:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse groups
• Residents of Claymore, Airds and the 2168 postcode
• People living in Wollondilly and Wingecarribee with barriers to using Better Access (Medicare) services
• LGBTIQA+
• Older People
• Financial Disadvantaged
• Perinatal Depression
• OR Diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness

People can be referred by their GP.

Read more

 

Alcohol and Other Drug services

SWSPHN funds a number of Alcohol and Other Drug services which work with clients, their families and with GPs to provide withdrawal management, rehabilitation, aftercare and psychosocial counselling for those in need.

These services are delivered by The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul Society, Odyssey House, Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation and the Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre.

Read more

 

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Mental Health Month each October encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not.

It also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of good mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviours when needed.

Mental Health Month’s theme encourages everyone to “Tune In”.

You can tune in to many things:

• Tune in to yourself – What can you sense right now? What can you feel?
• Tune in to others – What might people around you be feeling? How can we connect?
• Tune in to your community – What is happening that you can be part of, or that you can help others be part of?
• Tune in to stigma – How do attitudes and understanding of mental health and wellbeing impact on people’s ability to live the lives they want? How can we help?

Find out more about the importance of tuning in on the WayAhead website.

• SWSPHN funds a range of mental health services to address different levels of need. Visit our website to find out more about these services.

Students from primary and secondary schools in South Western Sydney are invited to enter South Western Sydney Local Health District’s Five Ways to Wellbeing School’s Creative Project.

The art competition aims to celebrate Mental Health Month in October.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple actions people can take in their everyday life to improve their mental wellbeing, and their ability to cope with the ups and downs of life.

The five ways are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give. 

Competition

The aim of the project is to positively promote the Five Ways to Wellbeing. All entries should highlight one or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Entries can be in any art style, for example painting, collage, drawing, photography.

Prizes

One winner and one highly commended prize will be awarded for each of the five age categories. Winners will win a $50 gift card.

Schools which have more than 50 entries will go in the draw to win one of three $250 vouchers.

Find out how to enter

Download the Teacher’s Guide

Entries close Monday, 24 October 2022.

On R U OK? Day, Thursday, 8 September, Australians are reminded every day is the day to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and start a conversation whenever they spot the signs someone they care about might be struggling with life.

R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention efforts by encouraging people to invest more time in their personal relationships and building the capacity of informal support networks – friends, family and colleagues – to be alert to those around them, have a conversation if they identify signs of distress or difficulty and connect someone to appropriate support, long before they’re in crisis.

The R U OK? website has a range of useful resources and tips for how to ask ‘R U OK?’.

Find out more

R U OK? has translated a number of key resources you can use, if you or someone you know would prefer to get information in a language other than English.

Access the resources

• Visit swsphn.com.au to find out about the mental health services we fund
• Visit Health Resource Directory to find out about specific mental health conditions

The Mental Health Symposium 2022 will highlight a range of innovative local programs, initiatives and supports to address the needs faced within South Western Sydney and work towards improved mental health outcomes.

Hear about exciting approaches in the areas of:

• Mental health and comorbidities
• Psychosocial support
• Regional planning
• Peer support
• Engaging with multicultural communities
• Suicide prevention
• Disaster recovery
• Eating disorders
• Social and emotional wellbeing

 

Keynote speakers

 

 

 

Connector Hub is a free, flexible psychosocial peer support service which offers programs and group-based activities to about 350 people living in South Western Sydney who face severe mental health challenges.

 

What support does Connector Hub provide?

Connector Hub is free and provides support tailored to the specific needs of the person seeking support.

A recovery support worker and access worker (someone with lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery) work with participants to help them achieve their goals, manage daily tasks, get involved in activities and make connections.

Participants may receive support with finding work, connecting with their community or accessing other health professionals.

The program offers:

• Community activities – social activities, outings and connecting community members
• Group support – focusing on understanding the person’s mental illness, improving their physical health and living the life they want
• Linking – with services, supports and health professionals who can help
• Reaching goals – support to reach the person’s education, employment and financial goals

 

How has Connector Hub changed?

Connector Hub underwent some changes last year, including:

• A minimum of 30 per cent of participants will be given the opportunity to apply for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) improving their quality of life and access to valuable services
• Consumers are now limited to 12 months’ access to Connector Hub services
• The service’s capacity has increased to 700 participants across the region

 

Where is Connector Hub provided?

Connector Hub can be accessed anywhere across our region, and Stride (Fairfield) has now joined One Door Mental Health (Campbelltown, Camden, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee) and Flourish (Bankstown and Liverpool) to deliver the services.

 

Who can access Connector Hub?

People can access the service if they:

• Live with severe mental illness which cause some difficulties in their everyday life
• Are aged 18 and over
• Live in South Western Sydney
• Are not receiving funding under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

 

How can someone access Connector Hub?

Anyone can refer an eligible person to the program (with their permission) including:

• Self-referral
• Carers, family or friends
• Health professionals

Refer online and find out more at www.connectorhub.org.au or call 1800 518 216.