Karratha Step Up/Step Down Service Now Open

The Pilbara community now has access to a long-awaited mental health recovery service. The new Karratha Step Up/Step Down Service is now open and referrals are being accepted from appropriate service providers.

This service is operated by Richmind WA in collaboration with the WA Country Health Service and Hope Community Services, partnered with the Mental Health Commission.

“We are so proud to open this much-anticipated service for the Pilbara community. We are aware of the community’s needs and service gaps, and no one should receive a lower standard of service just because they live in regional WA. Recovery always works best in someone’s hometown with their natural supports around them. This service will assist the broader health system in Karratha to better respond to the community’s needs,” Adrian Munro, Richmind WA CEO, said.

The Karratha Step Up/Step Down Service is a short-term, 28-day residential mental health recovery support service for people in the Pilbara experiencing mental health challenges. There are six individual home-like units and a team of dedicated mental health professionals providing 24/7 care. “It’s a welcoming, culturally safe space for everyone.” Adrian said.

The service is available for people aged 18 and over, living in Karratha and the Pilbara region, with a mental health diagnosis that does not require, or no longer requires, hospital treatment. It’s designed for people who are Stepping Down from a hospital admission, where they will get support to help them confidently return home or those who are Stepping Up from home, where they get support to manage a decline in their mental health while remaining in their community.

This new service is key to addressing the need for more flexible, residential-style community-based mental health services in the Pilbara region. The service model has been developed with extensive consultation with local service providers, Aboriginal Elders and the broader community over the last two years to understand the unique challenges faced by the people of Karratha and the surrounding region. They described what people in the Pilbara need for a Step Up/Step Down Service to be responsive, purposeful and connected to the community.

“We know that delivering health services in regional towns relies on building and maintaining trust with the local community and Richmind WA is committed to doing that. We have engaged with the community to look at how to create a culturally safe space for both residents and staff; one that respects and reflects First Nations Peoples’ ways of knowing, being and doing. We reviewed the service model to better align it with local strengths and the community’s specific needs. It is a truly community-driven, person-centred service, involving family in recovery, whoever that is to people,” said Adele Stewart, Richmind WA, Chief Services Officer, Residential

Residents receive a range of holistic supports designed to help them better understand themselves and define what a meaningful life looks like for them. All residents participate in a core recovery program, Roadmap to Recovery, with staff, residents, and support networks working together to create a safe space where people can achieve their wellbeing and recovery goals.

Richmind WA is keen to partner and collaborate with other organisations to provide the best care possible, and while a lot of work has gone into preparing for this service to commence, in many ways, the real work starts now.

This milestone has been reached with thanks to the WA Government, the partner agencies who have supported and welcomed Richmind WA and the Aboriginal Elders Advisory Group, who will continue to help guide us on this journey.

To find out more about the new service and how to apply or refer, visit our Karratha Step Up/Step Down Service page via the button below.