Authors: Neeraja Sanmuhanathan, Chioma Idam Chukwuma, Lisa Simpson, Sharon Chung, Julia Jacobs, Lucy Stirton, Denise Fry, Ashley de Silva, Rose Singh, Hannah Galley, Philippa Levy
Year: 2022
Event: 2022 TheMHS Conference
Subject: youth, recovery, wellbeing, services,
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: LEAD PRESENTATION: Integrated sexual assault support: A collaborative model of care between the health and education sectors.
Neeraja Sanmuhanathan, Chioma Idam Chukwuma, Lisa Simpson, Sharon Chung, Julia Jacobs, Lucy Stirton, Denise Fry
In 2016, a landmark national survey was conducted by the Australian Human Rights Commission to uncover the prevalence and nature of sexual harassment and sexual assault in Australian universities. Over 30,000 students responded to the survey with 6.9% of students reporting being sexually assaulted on at least one occasion in 2015-2016, 1.6% reporting that the assault occurred in a university setting; and an alarming 56.9% of respondents said they knew ‘nothing’ or ‘very little’ about where to seek support within university. In response, a partnership was developed between the Sexual Assault Counselling Service in Sydney Local Health District and the University of Sydney’s Safer Communities Office providing an integrated approach to responding to survivors. This is a complementary framework where the Safer Communities Office provides on-going case management and a referral pathway to the counselling service. Sexual violence is rooted in systemic oppression with significant under-reporting. Barriers to disclosure include limited access to services, trauma and stigma of assault, and concerns regarding confidentiality. These barriers can be particularly acute for international students, who may be unfamiliar with Australian services. International students may also face additional barriers to disclosure including increased isolation and financial pressures. Our paper will explore how a partnership between the health and education sector navigated these complexities by developing an integrated model of care to provide a specialised, trauma and violence informed response to student survivors of sexual assault.
PANEL PRESENTATION: Collaboration, conversation and community: Building a new service model to drive evolution, innovation and integration
Ashley de Silva
Today, youth mental health leadership means working at the intersection between young people, mental health and technology, and looking at the role that technology can play in architecting the way services deliver integrated and meaningful customer experiences. We have a significant opportunity to drive integration in the sector and forge warm handovers between mental health services so young people are better supported throughout their mental health journey, but this cannot be achieved without deeper integration from the top down.
At ReachOut Australia, we use a strengths-based prevention and early intervention model that delivers a holistic support network and unique user experience for young people, parents and carers. In response to the growing evidence base that peer support plays an integral role in addressing mental health challenges, we are further harnessing the expertise of young people with lived experience and co-producing a digital peer workforce. With continual investment in innovation and improved service symbiosis, a lived experience workforce can play an integral role in facilitating effective collaboration between government, sector and community.
The challenge now becomes creating an integrated mental health system that transcends sector challenges around competition and differentiation, and places a national model of constant evolution at the forefront of change.
PANEL PRESENTATION: Individualised Placement and Support for Education (IPSed): Supporting education in multidisciplinary youth mental health services.
Rose Singh, Hannah Galley, Philippa Levy
Educational attainment is consistently highly valued by young people with mental ill-health, yet completing basic education can be a struggle (Ramsay et al., 2011). Individual placement and support for education (IPSed) is a program is embedded within headspace Bondi Junction and the South Eastern Local Health District, integrated with clinical services for young people with early psychosis and at-risk mental states.
IPSed offers support to young people aged 15 to 25 years old who are at risk of disengaging from education or wanting to re-engage. We focus on young people’s functional recovery and wellbeing, tailoring our support to their personal education needs. By integrating a peer worker into the team we can walk their recovery journey together, aligning our support to be driven by the young person.
This presentation aims to inform about and advocate for the benefits of IPSed’s integration within clinical services, and how this improves young people’s engagement with wrap-around care. Two case studies of a young person and carer will highlight the impact of incorporating education-specific support into multidisciplinary mental health services.
This resource is only available for subscribers. If you have a subscription, please log in. Otherwise, click here to purchase a subscription.