The mental health system in the Northern Rivers can be a confusing and unwieldy creature.
Despite the presence of many high-quality services, the difficulties involved in navigating the system as a whole can make seeking help a distressing experience rather than a therapeutic one.
But last week, some of the key players in the system agreed on a partnership plan that has the potential to make accessing support significantly less traumatising for locals having a tough time.
The joint regional plan will bring together the Northern NSW Local Health District, Healthy North Coast, and the Mid North Coast Local Health district in a collaboration driven by a ‘one health mindset’.
This would effectively see the integration of primary, community, hospital, Aboriginal Medical Services, and social care services.
In announcing the move last week, NSW Minister for Mental Health, Rose Jackson, said there was little point in having services available if the people who needed them didn’t know where to turn.
‘[We’ve had] services operating independently to each other, and multiple entry points,’ Ms Jackson said.
‘[It’s] contributing to both consumer and workforce confusion in trying to navigate the system.’
Under the new partnership, people entering the mental health system would have the navigation tools provided for them rather than having to figure it out for themselves.
‘Their hands would be held as they’re moving through the different parts of the system: drug and alcohol, psychosis, disaster relief,’ Ms Jackson said.
‘Wherever you enter, if you need to go to another part, you are supported with a hand-held referral, as opposed to being told “call that number”, or “join that queue”.’
MOU
The three parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at last week’s launch, agreeing to work collaboratively to deliver ‘patient-centred healthcare’.
The MOU sets out several shared principles, including engaging communities in conversations about the type of care that should be delivered.
Collaborative
It also talks about the leaders of the different institutions letting go of individual leadership to embrace a more collaborative mindset.
‘Current perspectives of the workforce as belonging to a particular organisation can result in a lack of cooperation in the health system, even competition,’ the agreement states.
‘To support a person-centred health system, we are considering new ways of operating as a collective workforce regardless of organisational structures and funding mechanisms.’
It also talks about the opportunity to deliver more services within community settings and closer to people’s homes rather than in hospitals or other institutional settings.
The MOU will extend until at least June 30, 2026, with an option to extend for a further three years.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
