What are psychosocial supports?
Psychosocial supports help people who have experienced a mental health crisis or challenge. They receive support from a Mental Health Support Worker or Peer Worker along their journey to aid recovery.
It is a type of support that helps people with their emotional journey, physical health, community engagement, personal relationships and/or housing. When in recovery from a mental health crisis or challenge just one of those factors not going well prevents people from living their best life. When we have those things in balance we have the best chance of living well.
How does this type of support assist my mental health and recovery?
After experiencing a mental health crisis or challenge facing some or all aspects of life can be daunting. Psychosocial supports is when a community mental health or peer worker helps set goals and works alongside a person to reach them step by step. They begin by working with you on establishing what it is you want to achieve or need to address. They then help you with how to get there, breaking each step down to achievable goals.
By tackling each stage together a person is able to grow, lift their self esteem and continue on their recovery journey.
What types of programs are there?
Psychosocial Supports can be one to one support that is face to face and sometimes by phone or online. They can also be group programs that provide a space to meet and enjoy being with others, learning, cooking, gardening, doing art or other shared activities.
How can I access them?
Many psychosocial support programs are Government funded and how to access them varies. For some you need a referral from a State Community Mental Health Team while for others you can “self-refer”. That means being able to contact a service provider or a central phone number/website to request access to support.
Many group programs are open and easy to access. Telephone support services also exist that can provide support by phone or assist with a referral process. The Lived Experience Telephone Support Service (LETSS) is one such service, where people with lived experience can talk with you and guide you through the process of seeking supports. You can find out more about LETSS here.
