There are many kinds of mental health support services out there. Two key kinds of support service are community outreach services, and supported residential accommodation services. Each offers different benefits and ways of approaching recovery for people living with mental ill-health. Depending on your personal circumstances and where you are in your recovery journey, some services will suit you better.
Before you decide which is right for you, there are a few factors you need to think about.
1. Where you access supports
With community and outreach services, your support worker comes to you and assists you to stay well in your own home. Supported accommodation provides temporary accommodation, together with a personal recovery plan, with different programs offering different levels of daily support.
2. Level of support
Each service provides different levels of care. The great thing about supported accommodation is you can choose the level of daily support you need, ranging for a homely environment staffed 24 hours, 7 days a week to shared community units with support staff available as needed. Community and outreach services generally offer a lower level of daily care, with regular scheduled support sessions in your community and at home. These programs often assist people wanting to adjust back to living at home after a stay in supported accommodation, but there are many ways you can access these types of programs, such as through the NDIS.
3. Type of support
The type of support can vary greatly within both services, with specialised services able to cater to each person’s unique recovery needs. In community and outreach services, each program offers a different support. From helping with the NDIS to mentoring, linking your mental health services together and more, a range of programs are available to assist in your recovery journey. Supported accommodation services can vary too, with level of daily care, location and length of stay different at each site. For example, Richmond Wellbeing offers nine different supported accommodation types, from an intensive 15-week recovery program at Recovery House, long-term recovery-based accommodation in Bassendean, short-term support to find your feet after a hospital stay and a dual-diagnosis program for people with developmental delays and mental health challenges. You can find a list of all our programs and what they can offer you at https://rw.lamp8.cloudsites.net.au/supported-accommodation/
Richmond Wellbeing know family and friends are a key part of recovery, and we work to include the people that are important to you throughout your recovery. If you need help deciding which kind of support service is right for you, contact us on 1800 742 466 and start your journey to wellbeing today.
