Authors: Psychiatric Disability Services of Victoria (VICSERV) Inc
Year: 2004
Event: 2004 TheMHS Awards
Subject:
Type of resource: TheMHS Awards
Award state: VIC
Award level: Finalist
Award category: Specialist Service or Part of a Larger Service
Abstract: VICSERV is the peak body for non-government Psychiatric Disability Rehabilitation and Support (PDRS) services in Victoria. These services, which foster the well-being of people with a psychiatric disability, and their carers, include housing support, home-based outreach, psychosocial day programs, residential rehabilitation, mutual support and self help, employment, respite and advocacy. The PDRS sector receives $53m in government funding, and has a workforce of over 1,000. It is primarily for the workers at these 150 sites that the VICSERV Professional Development Program has been developed. The primary source of funding is the Victorian Department of Human Services, Mental Branch which provides core funding (approx $½ million) for the development and delivery of the training courses, publications, sector co-ordination and policy work. VICSERV currently has a staff of ten full and part time workers, and a pool of trainers. Publications are sold throughout Australia, and overseas. Training courses are delivered interstate, on request. Description of Facility/Organisation: VICSERV develops and delivers a comprehensive Professional Development Program to psychiatric disability rehabilitation and support workers, primarily in Victoria. At the heart of VICSERV’s Professional Development Program is the six module keyworker training course, and our popular three day residential course, The Principles and Practice of Psychosocial Rehabilitation. This training covers both the core and specialist skills required for the delivery of psychosocial rehabilitation and support for community based workers. During the 2002-2003 financial year, 728 people attended over 889 days of training. The satisfaction rate was 90%. VICSERV’s training modules are supported and extended by a new series of books which act as texts for the courses, and as extension reading. They are excellent, highly readable stand alone documents, that do not need to be read in conjunction with the training. A quarterly journal, New Paradigm, is also produced which contains articles highlighting the latest research and current practice.
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