New support services for Tasmanians with severe mental illness

Tasmanians living with severe mental illness who sometimes need support to meet the demands of daily life will soon be able to access a new, statewide psychosocial support service, commissioned by Primary Health Tasmania.

It was announced on Thursday 14 March community care provider Baptcare has won a tender to deliver the service – which is expected to be up and running from April – to people of all ages who aren’t eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

It comes after the Australian Government pledged $1.7 million to June 2021 to establish and fund these new psychosocial support services.

These are programs and activities designed to help people living with severe mental illness boost their ability to function in day-to-day life, such as by helping people get better at managing money, developing work goals, maintaining relationships, and more.

In developing the new local service, Primary Health Tasmania gathered the insights of more than 100 stakeholders, including consumers, carers, GPs, social service and mental health providers.

Baptcare spokesperson Debra Fast said the services, which won’t be available to those already accessing similar care, will be delivered in the form of individual and group-based activities across Tasmania.

“We are proud to have been awarded this opportunity to deliver psychosocial support services within Tasmania. The additional funding means that Tasmanians living with severe mental illness can get support to navigate through the daily demands they sometimes struggle with,” Ms Fast said.

Some transport support will be available and each targeted support package will last for up to six months, she said.

The new service is part of a number of changes underway across Australia in the delivery of Australian Government-funded psychosocial support services, largely due to the rollout of the NDIS.

More information about our commissioned mental health services is available here.