Charlotte Varcoe
MORE mental health and detox beds across Mount Gambier will provide relief for people in need, but better access to services and information is the next step, according to a Mount Gambier resident.
Shannon – who wished to be known only by her first name for personal reasons – welcomed the State Government’s announcement of six additional mental health beds to be provided at the Mount Gambier and District Hospital in addition to an extra two drug and alcohol rehabilitation beds.
A further four drug and rehabilitation beds will also be placed at other community facilities yet to be determined.
Shannon said the announcement was a fantastic initiative of Government, but more needed to be done to support people who had left the hospital or services following their rehabilitation.
Spending the past several months supporting a long-term friend in their rehabilitation efforts, Shannon said she found it difficult to find information on where she could access better support services and was unaware at first as to where to go for help.
“I was contacted by a friend of mine from high school who reached out needing help after a hospital visit due to addiction issues,” Shannon said.
“I had not spoken to her for years and for her to reach out to me just goes to show me how desperate for help she was at the time.”
She said at the time she was unaware of where to go and how to access further support services available in the Limestone Coast which then prompted her to reach out to other community members.
“I found it very difficult to locate the information I needed to help my friend which I don’t think is good enough because we are in 2022; we should easily be able to find support services for those battling addiction,” Shannon said.
“The announcement by the State Government is fabulous and is a long time coming, however it would appear to me that it probably won’t even scratch the surface of what is required because the demand for support services is so high with both mental health and drug and alcohol addiction.”
Shannon said more was needed for people leaving hospitals and waiting for referrals to rehabilitation facilities, stating it could take up to eight weeks to get a referral.
“When these people are at crisis point, they are often seeking an immediate response and it is important to get them at a time when they are ready for help,” she said.
“Instead we are now waiting six to eight weeks for a referral and I understand that is the process but if someone is ready for help, we need the services available to jump onto it as soon as possible.
“If there was a system in place for when individuals in this position could get support after leaving the hospital then it may have that flow-on effect which could then result in less hospital visits and alleviate that pressure because the hospital here is the only go-to for someone in that critical situation.”
Since helping her friend through rehabilitation, Shannon said they had been able to access some support services but the hours of her personal support were still taking a toll.
“There are endless hours that go into providing support that people don’t think about including mentoring daily living skills such as how to function in the community,” she said.
“We need better services in providing that type of support whether its more trained support workers that have specific training in that area or whether the funding from the Government would be better used in those areas.
“I have been utilising resources that I have thought might be helpful but it has taken a lot of hours out of my week.
“Although it is hard work I would do it again because I feel like we are finally getting to the point now where they are taking a bit more ownership over their recovery and the processes that are required to maintain sobriety as well.”
The new mental health and drug and rehabilitation beds are expected to be available next financial year.
