February 21, 2014
Help could be at hand – at least for the next three years – for South Burnett residents with severe and persistent mental illness.
The federally funded Partners In Recovery (PIR) support service will work to link people, their carers and families with the many different services in the local community that can provide support.
PIR is designed to “glue together” services via a community-based recovery model to help stop people “falling through the cracks”.
It will be delivered by a consortium of local health and welfare agencies headed up by Lifeline Darling Downs.
Other agencies involved include Centacare, RHealth, Rural & Remote Mental Health Ltd, MIFQ, Medicare Local and the Queensland Alliance For Mental Health.
PIR doesn’t provide clinical services; facilitators work to set up networks to aid recovery and assist clients to establish linkages with support groups.
Tim Saal, from consortium member Rural & Remote Mental Health Ltd, said 62 Partners In Recovery support services had been established across Australia as part of a $2.2 billion Federal Government program.
The Darling Downs & South West Qld PIR – which covers the South Burnett – stretches across 23 per cent of the State.
Facilitators are located in Charleville, Chinchilla, Kingaroy, Proston, Roma, St George and Tara. There are also six in Toowoomba including a “roving” facilitator covering Pittsworth and Milmerran.
There are two facilitators in the South Burnett. Andrea McGee is based in Kingaroy and Lesley Dennien is in Proston.
The PIR has funding to assist 296 people by the end of the three-year program.
Referrals can come from anyone. After the applicant is assessed for eligibility, an “action plan” tailored to their particular needs is drawn up.
About 40 people connected with the program gathered at St Mary’s Church Hall on Tuesday to undergo more training and study case work.
Queensland Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services Minister Tracy Davis – who was paying a whistlestop visit to Kingaroy – also dropped in briefly to meet facilitators.
The PIR will be officially launched on March 27.
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