Liaison officer appointed to bridge mental health and housing

A NEW mental health and housing liaison officer has been appointed in the Northern Rivers to support people living with mental illness and at risk of homelessness.

The role is part of a $30.4 million investment in mental health services in the most recent NSW budget, which includes more than 30 new community clinicians across the state.

Five of the new positions are dedicated mental health housing liaison officers, working directly with frontline housing teams at Homes NSW and the Department of Communities and Justice.

Northern NSW Local Health District director of mental health Deidre Robinson said one of the new positions had been appointed locally to address urgent need in the region.

“Working in partnership with NNSWLHD and Homes NSW, the new role aims to support people with complex mental illness who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless,” Robinson said.

“The position will work in areas of greatest need across the Northern NSW area to assist people to navigate clinical and housing services to help them secure stable housing and better support recovery.”

The new clinicians form part of a broader $2.9 billion investment in mental health across programs including Medicare Mental Health Centres, Safe Havens, psychosocial support, housing initiatives, Kids Helpline and Lifeline.

In the Northern Rivers, the new position will form part of a cross-agency support structure focused on early intervention and coordinated care.

“The mental health clinician will work with community members, family and carers, as well as existing support services, to improve referral pathways and care,” Robinson said.

“This role will build on the existing partnership between NSW Health and Homes NSW to better identify and prevent people from falling through the cracks, wrapping services around people that need them most.”

Minister for mental health, housing and homelessness Rose Jackson said communities had been crying out for support.

“We’re putting workers where they’re needed – on the ground, in the community, and alongside people doing it tough,”Jackson said.