In 2021 the Mental Health Commission engaged Nous Group (Nous) and the Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA) to undertake targeted stakeholder consultations to inform the development of a Model of Service (MoS) for each of the following three services:
Youth Long-term Housing and Support Program
Youth Psychosocial Support Packages; and
Youth Step Up/Step Down
In January 2022 the Mental Health Commission released the Final Consultation Report from the above consultations to inform the design and delivery of the three new services for young Western Australians with mental health issues. The MHC subsequently released a draft 'Youth Psychosocial Support Packages Model of Service' Consultation Paper, which was available for comment in early 2022. Avenues Australia prepared a response to this Consultation Paper and the proposed Model of Service. Avenues Australia provided twelve recommendations for the proposed Model of Service for the Psychosocial Support Package. We provided recommendations to help inform the improvement of this much-needed psychosocial support for young people. The packages will assist young people aged 16 to 24 years old living in the community, either independently or in the family home, to increasingly participate in and contribute to the community, social, and economic life. Our recommendations provide some practical operational recommendations that will reduce the complexities and barriers to implementing the packages. Avenues Australia provides psychosocial recovery coaching and support coordination as an NDIS-registered provider. We have developed this response against the backdrop of what we have gleaned from providing similar services under the NDIS. Below are the links to our response and the draft model of service. The Youth Psychosocial Support Packages is a welcomed development in improving the availability of psychosocial support for young people experiencing mental ill-health, and we look forward to the roll-out of the packages.
