Supporting Better Mental Health
Victoria ’ s COVID lockdowns and the ongoing pandemic had a substantial impact on mental health and wellbeing . Psychological distress and demand for support increased *.
INCREASED COUNSELLING SUPPORT
We boosted counselling support by 9 % and delivered telehealth and face-to-face services across the range of mental health severity to support improved outcomes .
Merri Health ’ s generalist counselling team provides therapeutic support for a range of issues including depression , anxiety , loss and grief , family violence specific counselling and the Targeted Psychological Support ( TPS ) program .
Providing more accessible social and psychological support was the focus this year .
What did we achieve ?
9 % increase in counselling , delivered
5225 hours of therapy , up from 4793 the year prior
450 clients supported , including
213 new clients over the year
resumed face-to-face services to walk-in clients
continued hybrid ( telehealth and in-person ) services to meet clients ’ needs
partnered with Women ’ s Health in the North ( WHIN ) in the Family Violence Counselling and Support Alliance ; and local service networks including Moreland Settlement Services Network and Moreland Family Violence Services Network presented on available supports to Nepalese community members and other community groups
presented at The Mental Health Services ( TheMHS ) 2021 conference , a major Australasian event for service providers
Key challenges
• high demand for mental health support and wait time management
• COVID-19 impacts limited capacity to link clients to services as needed
What ’ s next ?
• continue to offer hybrid service models to meet community needs
• collaborate with internal and external services to achieve best outcomes for clients
* Mental health services in Australia , Mental health impact of COVID-19 - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare ( aihw . gov . au ), Aug 2022
HEALTH SERVICES
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