South Western Sydney PHN’s Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Roundtable 8 brought together experts, service providers and community members at Rydges Campbelltown on Thursday, 29 August.
The 51 participants discussed integrated care and strategies for better mental health and AOD services in South Western Sydney.
This year’s keynote speaker, David Kelly, Executive Director of Programs at Odyssey House NSW, spoke about the importance of fostering partnerships and creating integrated strategies to bridge the gap between mental health and AOD services.
Mr Kelly said individuals couldn’t change the service system but “we can definitely change how we work together as services, and we can definitely change how we work with individuals”.
Mr Kelly emphasised the importance of providing clients with holistic care.
“Integrated care is not just working with people’s mental health concerns and drug and alcohol concerns; integrated care is also working with housing and homelessness and working to manage the responses to trauma, cognitive impairment, family domestic and sexual violence and justice systems,” he said.
He highlighted the complexity of care required for individuals facing both mental health and substance use issues, saying 76 per cent of people in Odyssey House’s residential rehabilitation programs had a mental health concern.
“A lot of people will say the main problem is drug and alcohol services won’t take people with a mental health concern and mental health services won’t take people with a drug and alcohol concern, and sometimes it’s true,” he said.
“But Odyssey House always take people with a mental health concern.”
The roundtable’s discussion section highlighted challenges in the current service system’s state of integration.
“I think it is important for us in both the mental health and AOD sectors to build relationships with communities, identify or recognise the general service access points for consumers or those who are living in the community and where they can go for support,” one attendee said.
“I also think by having their input, we are not only treating the problem but preventing it from happening in the future.”
The event also featured a panel of experts discussing integrated practices and what good care looks like.
“It’s not the drug and alcohol problem or the mental health problem,” one panellist said.
“They might be parts of the overall story, but we want to hear the whole context, the whole story, you as a person, what do you enjoy doing, where do you feel the happiest, tell me about your support network.
“It shows we’re listening to them and their whole story, not just a little snippet or a chapter.
“It’s really important for the service to be safe for the specific community, knowing who they are around, not just copying and pasting other services.”
Throughout the day, we heard from many other speakers addressing issues such as vaping and changes to laws in Australia, SWSPHN Opioid Dependence Treatment grants, and Fairfield Health Alliance Gambling Harm Screening Tool Project.
Participants also heard from those with a lived experience, who shared insights into the importance of incorporating voices from those directly impacted by the system.
Find out more about SWSPHN mental health services and SWSPHN alcohol and other drugs services.
Adam Holstein is a disability and mental health professional with over 25 years’ experience in the community sector. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Sydney University and holds qualifications in Disability and Management.
Dr Evelyne Tadros
