FAQ | Neami

What is Neami and what does Neami stand for?
What types of services does Neami offer?
What size is Neami?
Where does Neami get its funding?
What are the different types of funding Neami receives?
Who can receive a service from Neami?
Does Neami provide transport for its consumers?
Are Neami Community Rehabilitation and Support Workers like Case Managers?
What jobs are at Neami?
Have you written any reports about what Neami does?

What is Neami and what does Neami stand for?

Neami is a community managed Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Support Service that was first formed in 1987 in Melbourne’s northern suburbs by consumers, carer’s, health service providers and community members. Originally Neami was named North Eastern Alliance for the Mentally Ill. In 1998 Consumers and the Committee of Management sought to remove the emphasis of “mentally ill” and chose to use the acronym of Neami with the mission of “improving mental health and wellbeing in local communities”.

What types of services does Neami offer?

Housing and accommodation support service in New South Wales that provides support and community rehabilitation to people with a mental illness within a community setting. Please refer to our Service Site listings for NSW.

Three comprehensive and integrated psychiatric rehabilitation and support services provided on a regional basis in northern metropolitan Melbourne. Each of these services offers supported housing, home-based outreach and day programs. Neami has also developed a Complex Care Service in Melbourne, which supports consumers who have a range of complex needs including dual diagnosis and have contact with the justice system. Please refer to our Service Site listings for Victoria.

Housing and Accommodation Support Services in South Australia that provide support and community rehabilitation to people with a mental illness within a community setting. Please refer to our Service Site listings for SA.

Day to Day Living in the Community service in Western Australia providing socially based activity programs in the areas of social, recreational and educational based in the community. Please refer to our Service Site listings for WA.

Splash Art Studio is an art based program that promotes health, wellbeing, choice and participation in community life. Splash provides opportunities for people to participate in a range of individual and group art projects in a structured, supportive and creative studio environment. Splash Art Studio is available for people living in the municipalities of Whittlesea, Darebin, Banyule and Nillumbik. Current exhibitions and artwork for sale is listed on the Gallery page.

Continuous Improvement Program which ensures that all Neami services are planned, implemented and evaluated in a consistent manner, meet the National Mental Health Standards for Psychiatric Disability Support and Rehabilitation Services, complies with accreditation standards and deliver positive and identifiable outcomes for consumers. Neami is Quality Improvement Council of Australia accredited at all service sites.

What size is Neami?

As of September 2011 Neami has approximately 350 employees across 30 service sites in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, and a Head Office in Fairfield, Victoria. Annually, over 2500 consumers will receive a service from Neami. Neami’s budget for the 2011/2012 financial year is $32 million.

Where does Neami get its funding?

Neami is currently funded by :

Victorian Department of Human Services
Victorian Department of Health
Melbourne Health
Housing New South Wales, Human Services, New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation
Housing Choices Australia
New South Wales Department of Community Services
New South Wales Health
Mental Health Coordinatinng Council, New South Wales
Queensland Department of Communities
South Australian Department of Health
South Australian Department for Families and Communities
Federal Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Federal Department of Health and Ageing

Neami also applies for and receives a number of one-off grants from local government, other state government departments and philanthropic trusts.

What are the different types of funding Neami receives?

Neami receives funding through state and federal government funding programs, fee for service arrangements, local government and philanthropic sources. Each state has differing funding arrangements. The Federal Programs are the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program (PHaMs) and Day To Day Living Program. The State funded programs are itemised below.

New South Wales

Neami NSW receives funding through a combination of state and federal Programs.

The Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI) commenced in 2002 in NSW and is Neami’s primary funding source in New South Wales. HASI is a partnership program between non government organisations, community housing providers, clinical mental health services and the Department of Housing. This program is funded by the NSW Department of Health. HASI funding is distributed through individually targeted Low, Medium, High and Very High packages. Support, based upon needs identified through the CAN and the BASIS 32, is provided by Neami.

Each NSW service has one or a combination of the following funding sources:

HASI very high support is the provision of very high support and rehabilitation for individuals with a mental illness and accompanying severe level of psychiatric disability. Needs are complex and typically consumers reside in acute or sub acute psychiatric units or have a history of frequent hospitalisations, are homeless or inappropriately housed. Consumers are housed by the community housing provider in units in the location of their choice within the community for as long as they require it. Support is available 7 days a week.
HASI high support is the provision of individual high level support and rehabilitation for consumers with a moderate to severe level of mental illness. Typically these consumers have complex needs including multiple psychiatric diagnosis and co morbidity, e.g. drug and alcohol, developmental disability and have spent a large percentage of time in acute or sub acute psychiatric units or are homeless or inappropriately housed and likely to be unable to maintain a tenancy in a mainstream agreement. Consumers are housed by the community housing provider in units in the location of their choice within the community for as long as they require it. Support is available 7 days a week.
HASI medium is specified as daily support of a shorter duration to the high or very high support packages. It is expected that this may take the form of blocks of time or be divided into two visits a day.
HASI low support is the provision of individual low level support and rehabilitation for consumers with a mental illness that results in a low level disability. These consumers may already be in community or public housing and may require assistance in maintaining that housing. Some of those eligible may be young people living in the family home, people living with ageing parents or within extended family situations, or people living alone in non social housing. It is expected that consumer needs will vary over time and the actual number of hours required is dependent on the individual needs at the time. Typically, support is provided over 1 or 2 visits a week.
HASI 5A is the provision of support specifically targeted at Aboriginal consumers. The hours and type of support provided is dependent upon the needs of each individual consumer. Consumers in HASI 5A have access to brokerage funding to support achievement of their goals.

Personal Helpers & Mentors Program

This program is a Commonwealth funded initiative to help people who have severe functional limitations resulting from a mental illness to: manage their daily activities; and access a range of appropriate and integrated community, social support, accommodation, health, welfare and employment services when they need them. The program aims to assist people to overcome social isolation and increase their connections to the community.Neami currently delivers the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program across a number of sites in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

Recovery and Resource Services Program (RRSP)

The RRSP is designed to provide access to mainstream community social, leisure and recreation opportunities and vocational and educational services for people with a mental illness. The service, based on the best available evidence and practices is an integral part of the continuum of care provided by Area Mental Health Services (AMHS). Smithfield and Hurstville receive funding through this program

Way2Home Assertive Outreach based at Darlinghurst works with rough sleepers and people with high needs who are chronically homeless in inner city Sydney. The foundation of the assertive outreach approach is ‘individualised’ service delivery, developed around the specific and changing needs of each individual person. In partnership with St Vincent’s services are comprised of interventions that are holistic, intensive and integrated.

Aboriginal Assertive Outreach based at Ashfield works closely with the Way2Home project and Aboriginal Health services supporting Aboriginal rough sleepers to establish stable accommodation.

Inner City Housing Program is a step down service attached to St Vincents Hospital offering transitional accommodation and support in shared housing settings for up to twenty tenants. The service is provided through Neami’s Darlinghurst office.

Macarthur Step Down

Neami Macarthur works closely with clinical services to support up to eight people in a transitional housing setting (4 x2 bedroom units). The aim of this program is to support people who have a history of multiple presentations to acute services and or accident emergency settings to reduce or prevent further hospitalisation.

Macarthur Youth Outreach

Neami is participating in a pilot for young people experiencing homelessness and mental health issues. The pilot will focus on young people who cycle through the SAAP system in Campbelltown engaging youth and SAAP services in the area, identifying service and education needs of the sector. This pilot will run over three years and it is hoped that it will help to inform youth HASI and other models for young people experiencing mental health issues.

Campbell Page Employment Services

Neami Illawarra, Nowra and Macarthur provide services on a fee for service basis to people who are considered to require additional psychological support in order to be ‘job ready’

South Australia

South Australia’s Neami services are all funded through SA Department of Health

Individual Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Support Service (IPRSS) replaced the previous funding packages Strategy 6 and 8 also provided by the South Australian Department of Health. IPRSS is offered to individuals living in their own homes with a focus on developing living skills and providing assistance for consumers to engage in meaningful daytime activities. The program is also aimed at supporting consumers to transition from hospitals to home and community living by strengthening their personal networks and promoting community engagement and social connectedness.

Port Adelaide Supported Housing Project is the provision of individual rehabilitation and support to consumers in their own homes or in flats/units/houses provided by Housing SA or a community housing provider. This program is delivered Monday to Friday 9 to 5.30pm.

Day and Group Program

This funding supports a range of group activities including ongoing youth-specific groups, shorter-term interest based groups on a range of areas including photography, fitness, cooking and living skills and the Arts Based Practice Program. Arts based practice is a vocational pathway promoting community connectedness for people using mental health services. It differs from art therapy in that the emphasis of the model is to support people who experience mental illness to develop linkages to the broader community in the role of artist. The role relationship of worker to consumer has a dynamic of mentor to artist or peer to peer rather than therapist to client. Programs are held in non-illness saturated environments such as community arts centres and studios. The studio environment is focussed, self directed and clearly defined as a professional development space where art making, not illness, is the emphasised factor.

Housing and Support Program provides housing through the Commonwealth stimulus funding linked to support to facilitate people with mental illness in their transition from institutional settings to the community.

Queensland

Queensland services are funded by Commonwealth and State funding programs.

The Commonwealth programs are itemised below:

PHAMS Program (Personal Helpers and Mentors Program) This program is a Commonwealth funded initiative and provides 3 year funding for Neami staff to help people who have severe functional limitations resulting from a mental illness to: manage their daily activities; and access a range of appropriate and integrated community, social support, accommodation, health, welfare and employment services when they need them. The programme will create opportunities for recovery for people who have a severe functional limitation resulting from a mental illness by helping them to overcome social isolation and increase their connections to the community. Neami currently delivers the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program from our Darra and Strathpine sites.

Housing and Support Program

The Housing and Support Program provides comprehensive supports including clinical support, non‐clinical support and social housing to assist people with a psychiatric disability to move from Queensland Health Extended Treatment or Acute Mental Health facilities and to sustain community living. Neami provides individualised packages of support in conjunction with clinical services. The consumer is able to nominate their preferred provider.

Victoria

Victorian services receive a combination of State and Federal funding. The Federal Programs are PHAMS and Day 2 Day Living (see below for further information). The state funding programs are detailed below.

HBOS or Home Based Outreach Service is the provision of individual rehabilitation and support to consumers in their own homes or in flats/units/houses allocated to Neami by the Office of Housing. The HBOS service runs Monday to Friday from 9 to 5.30pm.

Group Rehabilitation Program (previously know as Day Program) is the provision of group rehabilitation programs that have a specific purpose and are time limited. Group content relates back to collective needs outlined in the CANSAS-P. Most of the programs are held in community venues. Neami specifically changed the name of this program from day program to group rehabilitation programs. This program is Monday to Friday 9 to 5.30pm.

Specialist Program Stream is the provision of specialist services and this funding covers Neami Splash Art Studio which provides a studio based workshops where by consumers pursue visual arts on an individual and group basis with practicing artists facilitating the workshops.

Complex Care Services is the provision of intensive outreach support to clients who have multiple and complex care needs including contact with the justice system. Individual packages of support are assessed through the Multiple and Complex Care Need Initiative (MACNI) established by the Victorian Government in 2003.

Pathways Housing Initiative provides pathways for people located in the Northern Psychiatric Unit who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness upon discharge, into stable and appropriate accommodation. Additionally the Pathways program will offer follow up and support to consumers to assist in the securing of long term stable housing for up to four months post discharge. The model incorporates an early engagement or ‘in-reach’ approach with the Northern Psychiatric Unit and associated programs within the Northern Area Mental Health Service as well as an assertive ‘outreach’ service.

Mutual support and self help

This service is embedded in Group Rehabilitation Programs. Each year Neami runs a number of information, education and support groups for consumers and carers.

Intensive Home Based Outreach or IHBOS is provided with the aim of assisting consumers from long term bed-based services (Forensic, Secure Extended Care and Community Care Units) to transition into the community or to assist consumers currently living in the community who have complex, multiple needs.

The service is provided with a worker to consumer ratio of roughly 1:1. Intended outcomes are:

A reduction in hospital admissions and involvement with the corrections system.
Improved long term housing security and permanent pathways out of homelessness.
Improved life skills, social engagement and participation in community life and longer term recovery outcomes.
Improved continuity of care, particularly at critical transition points.

Prevention and Recovery Centre Service (PARCS)

PARCS is a supported residential service for people experiencing a significant mental health problem but who do not need or no longer require a hospital admission. This model of service provides short-term intensive recovery focussed clinical treatment, rehabilitation and support for consumers, in a community based residential setting. PARCS aims to assist in averting acute inpatient admissions and facilitate earlier discharge from inpatient units. The Neami PARCS service, located in Preston is delivered in partnership with the Northern Area Mental Health Service.

Service Coordination

The provision of service co-ordination services within Victorian Neami services ensures that our response to individuals with multiple and complex needs are planned and coordinated. The previous delivery of Complex Care services provides the organisation with the skills and experience to successfully manage this service. Service Co-ordination involves but is not limited to the Service Co-ordinator promoting effective communication between services, coordinating regular meetings between all service providers, developing flexible and creative service options in collaboration with care teams, maintaining a current and future focus on consumers’ needs and goals and ensuring that an appropriate crisis plan is in place.

Personal Helpers & Mentors Services

This program is a Commonwealth funded initiative and provides 3 year funding for Neami staff to help people who have severe functional limitations resulting from a mental illness to: manage their daily activities; and access a range of appropriate and integrated community, social support, accommodation, health, welfare and employment services when they need them. The programme will create opportunities for recovery for people who have a severe functional limitation resulting from a mental illness by helping them to overcome social isolation and increase their connections to the community. Neami currently delivers the Personal Helpers and Mentors Program from our Thornbury, Regent, Heidelberg and Briar Hill sites.
Support for Day to Day Living in the Community (D2DL) Program is a Commonwealth initiative targeted for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness by providing socially based activity programs. The aim of the program is to improve health outcomes for people with severe and persistent mental illness who experience social isolation through the provision of structured and socially based activity programs thus assisting people to participate in social, recreational and educational activities in the community. The funding model provides three fixed levels based on differing consumer needs:

Low: Provides support and activities within an informal drop-in group or other safe environment which develops social skills and community participation
Medium: Provides same support as low as well as providing structured and socially based activity programs.
Flexible/discretionary funding (for costs directly related to facilitating social based and educational activities, such as course and study fees, travel and entry fees)

This program is currently delivered through the Thornbury, Regent, Briar Hill and Heidelberg sites.

Western Australia

Neami’s Armadale service receives Commonwealth funding and is supplemented by Neami’s own funds to maintain viability of the service.

Support for Day to Day Living in the Community (D2DL) Program is a commonwealth initiative targeted for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness by providing socially based activity programs. The aim of the program is to improve health outcomes for people with severe and persistent mental illness who experience social isolation through the provision of structured and socially based activity programs thus assisting people to participate in social, recreational and educational activities in the community. The funding model provides three fixed levels based on differing consumer needs:

Low: Provides support and activities within an informal drop-in group or other safe environment which develops social skills and community participation
Medium: Provides same support as low as well as providing structured and socially based activity programs.
Flexible/discretionary funding (for costs directly related to facilitating social based and educational activities, such as course and study fees, travel and entry fees)

All States

Local Government and Philanthropic Organisations
Neami seeks and receives various project funding from a range of local government areas and philanthropic organisations particularly in the areas of health promotion and arts and recreation programs

Who can receive a service from Neami?

Neami offers support and rehabilitation to people aged between 16-64 who have a serious mental illness and enduring psychiatric disability. They must live in the catchment area’s for which Neami is funded. Consumers in Victoria and South Australia can make a self-referral or be referred by their family, friends, doctor, psychiatrist or other health professional. Consumers in New South Wales are generally referred by the local Area Mental Health Service. To find out how to make a referral in your area, please check information listed with your nearest Service Site.

Does Neami provide transport for its consumers?

Not necessarily. Where possible, consumers are encouraged to use public transport to get to their appointments or to access the Neami service. If this is an issue for a consumer, then their support worker can assist them with travel training or alternative forms of transport.

Are Neami Community Rehabilitation and Support Workers like Case Managers?

Not exactly – Neami is a service where consumers and staff work together to come up with the best plan for the consumer’s recovery. Whilst Neami workers can accompany consumers to their clinical appointments, they do not have any part in clinical case management – i.e. monitoring medication.

What jobs are at Neami?

From time to time Neami will offer employment vacancies in a variety of areas. These positions include Service Manager, Senior Practice Leaders, Community Rehabilitation and Support Workers, Community Artist (Visual Arts) and Administration roles within Corporate Services.

Please go to the Employment section of the web site for more information on current job vacancies.

Have you written any reports about what Neami does?

There are a number of publications available. Please go to the Publications section of the web site to view copies of current publications.