Authors: Beth Fogerty, Rosalie Frankish, Cassandra Green
Year: 2019
Event: 2019 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Creating a Home: The Foundation for Health and Belonging.
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract:
Biography:
Cassandra Green is the Senior Practitioner of the Doorway Program, a specialist mental health and homelessness program delivered by Wellways Australia. Cassie has been employed in the community welfare and mental health sector for 12 years. Cassie is passionate about designing and delivering best practice mental health and homelessness services to ensure such services are afforded to all individuals as a human right.
Australia is facing a growing number of individuals who are experiencing homelessness. The 2016 census results indicated that 116,426 individuals experienced homelessness. This is an increase from 102,439 in 2011. It is acknowledged that a significant number of individuals who experience homelessness also experience mental health and or a disability. Having a safe, affordable home is essential to positive mental and physical health. While the availability of affordable housing options is one solution to addressing homelessness, supporting individuals to address the issues and situations faced that lead to homelessness is just as important in breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Programs, such as Doorway, which take a Housing First approach, effectively integrate housing and health needs in the creation of a home. Doorway supports individuals who experience mental health and homelessness into a home within the private rental market. Participants are supported to create a home, laying the foundations to improve their mental health, build community connections and economic participation. This presentation will highlight the final evaluation and economic findings of the Doorway program over the last 4 years.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: The audience will be informed of the key learnings and outcomes of the Doorway program (2014-2018).
Learning Objective 2: This paper highlights the outcomes of Doorway, a program that supports individuals who are homeless and experience mental ill health.
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, Census of Population and Housing: Estimating Homelessness. Cited on 20.10.2018
Dunt R, David., Benoy, W Andrew., Phillipou, A., Collister L, Laura., Crowther M, Elizabeth., Freidin, Julian., Castle J, David (2016). Evaluation of an integrated housing and recovery model for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses: the Doorway program. Australian Health Review. 10.1071.
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