The new Southside Community Step Up Step Down facility has opened today to provide specialist sub-acute care in a residential setting for people experiencing mental health issues.
Minister for Mental Health Emma Davidson said the new facility, located in Garran near the Canberra Hospital, will mean more Canberrans can better transition between levels of support as their mental health needs change.
"Step Up Step Down will empower people in our community to either 'step up' from community-based programs to receive additional support, or 'step down' from a hospital setting to continue their mental health recovery and transition back to community life," Minister Davidson said.
"I'm thrilled to open this new six-bedroom facility and further expand Canberra's mental health system with rehabilitative psychosocial and clinical services. The program is based on a best-practice model proven to deliver effective community support for people at transition points in their care needs. The length of stay is for periods of up to two weeks.
"The Southside Community Step Up Step Down facility is an important part of the ACT Government's commitment to ensuring that Canberrans receive the right care, at the right time, for the right duration to meet their mental health needs."
The facility is managed by Stride Mental Health Ltd, an experienced provider of transitional residential and psychosocial mental health services who operate residential mental health services across New South Wales and Queensland. Stride is partnering with Woden Community Service, who will assist the transition back to community living through outreach support
The Southside Community Step Up Step Down facility is part of a 2018-19 ACT Government Budget commitment of $22.8 million over four years to deliver more supported accommodation for people experiencing mental illness.
"The Southside Community Step Up Step Down service will better meet the mental health needs of our growing population by boosting the sub-acute supported accommodation to accommodate a further six adults, from 18-65, at any one time," Minister Davidson said.
With the launch of the new facility, the ACT now has five Step Up Step Down services, including:
- five-bed service for adults in Lyneham (18 – 64 years)
- five-bed service for children and adolescents in Watson (13 – 17 years)
- six-bed service for youth/young adults in Kambah (18 – 25 years)
- one outreach Step Up Step Down service for adults ('TRec' Transition to Recovery for 18-64 years)
Quote attributable to Drikus Van der Merwe, Acting CEO, Stride Mental Health Inc:
"We are excited to work with the ACT Government and Woden Community Service to deliver the new Southside Community Step Up Step Down program. Stride has been responding to the mental health needs of the Australian community through residential settings for more than 100 years, and this will allow us to provide our evidence-based service in the ACT."
Quote attributable to Jenny Kitchin, CEO, Woden Community Service:
"Woden Community Service has a long history and local experience in providing community outreach support for people who are unwell or in the early stages of recovery from an acute mental illness. We are thrilled to be able to provide this additional Step Up Step Down service to the ACT community in partnership with Stride."
