A BACKGROUND IN MENTAL HEALTH LED SARAH SHIPTON TO FEROS CARE, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK OUT A MENTAL HEALTH LOCAL AREA COORDINATION (LAC) ROLE HAS ALLOWED HER TO HELP PEOPLE GAIN ACCESS TO THE ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT THEY NEED.

The dedicated role, which will encompass Feros Care’s five LAC regions of North Adelaide, the Barossa, ACT, Townsville and Mackay, is proactively empowering people with disability, their families and carers to build, pursue and fulfil their goals and aspirations while exercising choice and control when engaging with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

After working in a mental health facility prior to joining Feros Care six months ago, Sarah, who saw first-hand the barriers people experience,  jumped at the chance to be the Barossa’s conduit between the Psychosocial and mental health community, and the NDIS and supports.

In an unprecedented year where mental health concerns are more in the spotlight than ever before, Sarah said assisting those with Psychosocial issues as well as the wider community was more important than ever.

SARAH IS ASSISTING PEOPLE TO BUILD THEIR CAPACITY WITH THE NDIS

“When I was working with participants in the residential sector, I got to see what Feros Care was doing to assist them and I wanted to be a part of that,” she said.

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding around Psychosocial conditions, so, I get to go out into the community to host presentations, workshops, forums which helps to build community capacity around the NDIS.

“People don’t always realise that they may be eligible for access to the NDIS or how Psychosocial conditions affect daily life. So, we break that down and show how the NDIS can assist them, and if they don’t meet access, we can help them discover who to link to for support.

“My role also encompasses community mental health, where I meet with those at local organisations, hospitals, or the likes of inpatient units to work with people to assist them in gaining access.”

The role came about following discussions in 2018 which identified access to the NDIS and connecting with a broader system of support had proven a community-wide challenge for people with a Psychosocial disability, and also the support services.

Incorporating representatives from health services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, and NDIS registered, and non-registered, service providers, plans leading to a role such as Sarah’s were devised.

Suited to the role through her background in residential mental health and through her current study for a Psychology degree at the University of South Australia, Sarah said identifying wider issues was critical.

THE MENTAL HEALTH LAC ROLE IS MORE CRUCIAL THAN EVER IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE

In a year where people are facing uncertain futures, isolation, financial strains and loneliness, Sarah said it was evident people need help, particularly in regional areas where access opportunities and supports like that of their city counterparts aren’t as readily available.

“It’s been really crucial to go into rural and remote areas to help people get access or support and we’re hearing a lot of people saying they need help,” Sarah said.

“Things have been very rough for people this year particularly, so, if there’s anything tricky or people aren’t meeting access, it’s about easing that overwhelmed feeling for them and sitting down with them or calling them to talk about what they need.”

On the back of R U Ok? Day during a month placing increased focus on mental health, Sarah and her taskforce had been working hard to make sure the spotlight was well and truly on supporting and engaging people.

Preparing to assist even more people during Mental Health Week from October 10-18, Sarah said the Mental Health LAC role had proven a great initiative from Feros Care and had the scope to continue changing lives.

“Our taskforce did an amazing job with R U OK? Day… we provided people with little goodie bags containing contact details for mental health services and helplines, examples of lived experience, tea and coffee sachets, so people can have a tea and a chat with a mate,” Sarah said.

“We also held virtual meetings and wore purple to promote suicide prevention in the LGTBQIA+ community. For Mental Health Week, we’ll also be doing internal and external events and will have people from our forensics division speaking, and we’ll be going into the community to help with planning and access.

“We’ve also done thing like going to Men’s Sheds, linking with the CALD community; it’s just so important to talk about mental health and break down the stigma surrounding it.

“It’s all making a difference and we’ve got to keep getting out there and having a chat and creating awareness around mental health and how the NDIS can assist.”

TO FIND OUT HOW SOME OF OUR OTHER LACS ARE ASSISTING PEOPLE TO LIVE THEIR BEST LIVES, CLICK HERE.

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