Help for the mentally ill

							                                                     Wanneroo Times
                                                     10/03/2009
                                                     Page: 7
                                                     General News
                                                     Region: Perth
                                                     Circulation: 64437
                                                     Type: Suburban
                                                     Size: 109.34 sq.cms
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       Help for the mentally ill
      MENTAL health support services in              Personal helpers and mentors work           The project also has scope for a peer
      Joondalup have received a boost, with       one-on-one with participants, helping       support element, where people who
      money for five full-time workers to go to   them cope with day-to-day life and giv-     have learned to cope with mental illness
      UnitingCare West.                           ing them strategies to deal with things     can act as mentors to others.
        The funding will help pay for the Fed-    like housing, health care, employment          Ms Tilley said UnitingCare West
      eral Government's personal helpers          and budgets.                                would spend the next couple of months
      and mentors program, which is de-              Joondalup will be one of three sites     recruiting for the project and building
      signed to help people with mental ill-      in the northern suburbs to offer the ser-   contacts with other services.
      ness manage their daily lives.              vice, with Clarkson and Stirling also to        "We will be in contact with people
         UnitingCare West mental health and       get five-person teams for the project.      like GP and health services as well as ex-
      disability services executive manager         "There has been a real shortage of        isting mental health services, along
      Fran Tilley said the service would make     support for people with a mental ill-       with the police and other emergency
      a great difference to people struggling     ness," Ms Tilley said.                      services." she said.
      with mental illness.                           "There is a real need for sup-
         "It will provide intensive support for   port that isn't stop-start to help
      people in a planned and structured          people with mental illness get
      way," she said.                             upon their feet."




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