Psychosocial supports

Psychosocial supports

South Eastern Melbourne PHN (SEMPHN) has commissioned new psychosocial support services in 2019 to assist people with severe mental illness. 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can provide support to people with psychosocial disability, but there are people with severe, episodic mental illness who may not be eligible for the NDIS.

These new psychosocial supports, to be funded by the Australian Government under the National Psychosocial Support (NPS) measure and Continuity of Support (CoS) service in 2019, are intended to address the needs of people who are not eligible for the NDIS and who may otherwise ‘fall through the gaps’.

What do we mean by ‘psychosocial support’?

Psychosocial support is a general term for any non-therapeutic intervention that helps a person cope with stressor in the home at work or in daily life.  Psychosocial support can assist people with severe mental illness to participate in their community, manage daily tasks, undertake work or study, find housing, get involved in activities, and make connections with family and friends. Psychosocial supports are specific to the person and their needs. 

Who have we commissioned to deliver these services in South Eastern Melbourne? 

Ermha has won an open tender to deliver new Psychosocial Support Services (PSS) in partnership with Launch Housing across south eastern Melbourne. More about Ermha

PSS aims to address a current gap in services for some people who are unable to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and whose recovery would benefit from receiving a level of specialised psychosocial supports.

Psychosocial Support Services (PSS) is the term we're using to reflect the type of services ermha will deliver via two new programs:

1. The National Psychosocial Support (NPS) Measure is a less intense short term service to build psychosocial functional capacity to address individual needs and complements clinical mental health and broader physical health and social support. The focus should be on building capacity and connectedness at times when most needed, rather than providing ongoing support. 
2. The Continuity of Support (CoS) services will provide ongoing support for consumers who accessed services under Partners in Recovery (PIR), Support for Day to Day Living in the Community (D2DL) and Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) as at 30th June 2019, who are ineligible to receive services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). CoS will aim to achieve similar outcomes to those under the PIR, D2DL and PHaMs programs. This program will provide ongoing funding, ensuring CoS consumers have access to long-term, responsive support. 

Who is eligible? 

1. The National Psychosocial Support (NPS) measure is for people with severe mental illness who: 

• are not eligible for the NDIS
• are expected to benefit from the provision of psychosocial supports
• were not accessing Partners in Recovery (PIR), Day to Day Living (D2DL) or the Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) programs as at 30 June 2019
• do not access state funded mental health community support services.

2. The Continuity of Support (CoS) service provides ongoing support for consumers who:

• accessed services under Partners in Recovery (PIR), Support for Day to Day Living in the Community (D2DL) and Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) as at 30 June 2019
• are ineligible to receive services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Transition Support Program

The Commonwealth funded Partners in Recovery (PIR), Day 2 Day Living (D2DL) and Personal Helpers and Mentors Service (PHaMs) programs will cease on 30 June 2019. 

The Government acknowledges that additional time is required to support consumers of these programs to transition to the NDIS, or where they don’t meet eligibility, the Continuity of Support (CoS) program. 

As a result, the Commonwealth has invested in Primary Health Networks (PHNs) to commission time limited supports for up to 12 months for consumers in these programs. 

SEMPHN’s Transition Support Program (TSP) will focus on supporting the existing consumers of the PIR, D2DL and PHaMs programs as at 30 June 2019 to:

• Test eligibility for the NDIS;
• Remain supported whilst they awaiting an NDIS access decision or plan outcome; 
• Transition to an NDIS support coordination service provider OR appropriate ongoing supports under CoS; and
• Access the psychosocial supports they require 

How can I refer? 

Visit our Access and Referral page for referral contacts and forms.