Personal Helpers and Mentors Program (PHaMs ) - Employment

Personal Helpers and Mentors Program (PHaMs) - Employment

David Albrecht [email protected] Nalder [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Why You Might Choose To Lend Us Your Ear For The Next 45minutes?

SUPPORTING JOB SEEKERS (LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS) TO LINK INTO SERVICES ASSISTING THEM OVERCOME (non vocational)EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS.

Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) Employment


Recovery is often described as a journey from a life dominated by symptoms of mental illness and disability, to a life with meaning despite mental illness.

People can overcome the significant symptoms and disabilities that may arise from even severe mental illness, recover and lead rich and fulfilling lives.

Each persons journey of recovery will be unique and deeply personal.

The person is viewed as the source of solutions.

Recovery journey is not a linear process, and it includes progress and setbacks.

Recovery represents a fundamental way to how we have traditionally viewed mental illness. In turn, this has created challenges and a rethink to the way we develop systems that support someone to recover.

Brief Conversation Around Recovery...

A Brief Trip back In Time……

PHaMs Program key Australian Government initiative from 2006 Budget toward COAG National Action Plan on Mental Health.

Aimed at people 16years and over and living with severe mental illness.

Support participants in their recovery journey.

NO formalised clinical diagnosis of mental illness to access the program.

Support participants to develop goals and develop plans to achieve their goals.

PHaMs workers support participants link in and reconnect with their community.

Psychosocial in focus, outreach based, not time limited, walking alongside, HOPE.

Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs)


Why PHaMs Employment? September 2011 - Joint Submission to the House Standing Committee on Education and

Employment by the (former) Departments of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Health and Ageing, and Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, following an Inquiry into Mental Health and Workforce participation.

- Nearly one in three Australians will experience mental illness in their lives. - Significantly lower workforce participation rates for people living with mental illness. - Social and economic participation is beneficial for mental health and aids recovery. - Stigma, employer attitudes, ineffective responses through sometimes complex

jurisdictional service systems present barriers to workforce participation.

Aside from personal loss, there is a significant cost to the Australian economy (lost productivity).

2011/2012 Budget $2.2billion delivering National Mental Health Reform over 5 years.


Why PHaMs Employment?MAY 2012 - Departments of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Health and Ageing, Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Mental Health Council of Australia had a get-together.

Widespread acknowledgement that recovery-based approach – cornerstone of PHaMs, provides effective practise framework in support of people living with mental illness.

$270 million allocated to provide PHaMs to specifically support people living with mental illness on income support to work more closely with employment services – find and stay in employment.


PHaMs Employment Services provide support for people with a mental illness receiving the Disability Support Pension or other government income support payments who are engaged, or willing to engage, with employment services and who have economic participation as a primary goal in their Individual Recovery Plan.

Organisations are funded $ to provide specialist support and work with government employment services, such as Disability Employment Services and Job Services Australia to assist PHaMs participants to address non-vocational issues that are barriers to finding and maintaining employment, training or education.

http://guides.dss.gov.au/family-assistance-guide/1/1/i/50


Adelaide South - Mental Illness Fellowship South Australia Inc• 5 Cooke Terrace Wayville SA 5034 (08) 8378 4100• Marion, Mitcham, Onkaparinga, Adelaide, Norwood, Payneham, St Peters, Unley and Campbelltown, Holdfast Bay

Adelaide North - SYC Limited• 80 Woodville Road, WOODVILLE Telephone: 08 82441299• Playford, Salisbury, Tea Tree Gully, Charles Sturt, Port Adelaide-Enfield and West Torrens

Murray Bridge - Catholic Church Endowment Society• 55 Adelaide Road Murray Bridge 5253 (08) 8531 8888• Murray Bridge, The Coorong, Southern Mallee, Karoonda East Murray and Mid Murray

Port Pirie - UnitingCare Wesley Port Pirie Incorporated• 1st Floor Flinders Arcade 82 Ellen Street Port Pirie SA 5540 (08) 8633 9000• 31 Hallett Street Kadina SA 5554 (08) 8821 2566• Port Pirie City and Districts, Barunga West, Copper Coast and Yorke Peninsula

http://www.mifa.org.au/mifsa

http://www.mifa.org.au/mifsa

https://www.dss.gov.au/syc.net.au/focus-areas

http://www.centacare.org.au/

http://www.ucwcsa.org.au/

http://www.ucwcsa.org.au/

Who is eligible to participate in PHaMs Employment Services?• be 16 years old and over;• mental illness has a significant impact on daily life (a formal diagnosis is

not required);• not be receiving or entitled to receive non-clinical community support

similar to PHaMs through state of territory government;• be in receipt of a income support payment;• be engaged, or willing to engage, with an employment service;• be living in one of the eligible council areas;

and• to have employment as their primary (recovery) goal.



Priority / Special Needs Groups include the following:• Indigenous Australians (including Stolen Generation),• People from Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds,

including Humanitarian Entrants and recently arrived migrants and refugees, and

• Young people aged 16 to 24 years.


How do I/you access a Personal Helpers and Mentors Service?• People can (and are encouraged) to self-refer. • People can be referred through a range of community services, such as

disability employment service providers, drug and alcohol support services, General Practitioners or housing support services.

• People can (and are) referred by family members/friends.• However, participation is voluntary and people should be aware of and

consent to the referral.• At MIFSA; complete and forward referral to:

[email protected]

• Potential participants are involved in a conversation with the service provider to determine eligibility.



Referral Form - Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) Program (MIFSA)Date: Referral taken by: Participant's detailsName: Date of birth: Address: Suburb: Postcode: Home phone: MobileLanguage: Preferred language:

Referring organisation / individual Name: Organisation: Address: Phone Number: Email: Does the participant consent to be contacted by the PHaMs program? Yes No

About the participant…Are you currently experiencing homelessness? Yes NoAre you an Indigenous Australian? Yes NoAre you from a culturally or linguistically diverse background? Yes No Are you currently participating in another MIFSA program (or been referred to another MIFSA program)? Yes NoIf yes, please provide details: _____________________________Is gaining employment within the next 12 months your primary goal? Yes No

What services are you currently accessing? (please add relevant details on the line below) GP Psychiatrist PsychologistCentrelink (specify payment type if known) Employment service (specify DES/JSA if known)Homelessness service Mental health service (clinical or non-clinical)Correctional Services Drug/alcohol service

Please provide details about your current situation and describe what goals you would like to achieve on the program.

Key Tool for Determining Eligibility:

• Eligibility Screening Tool

NINE life areas, and impact of living with mental illness.

1) Learning, Applying Knowledge and General Demands, 2) Social and Community Activities, 3) Working & Employment, 4) Education,

5) Communication, 6) Domestic Activities, 7) Self Care, 8) Transportation & Mobility, 9) Interpersonal Relationships

Require assistance: Some of the time. Most of the time. All of the time. Do not require.

• Occurs at an initial meeting(s) – guided conversation.

• Identify a ‘space’ where PHaMs can operate – value add, build capacity, goal focused, participant driven RECOVERY FOCUS.



What is the Structure of Support?

Weekly/Fortnightly support – intensive support.

Intensive support for up to 12 months.

Following intensive support………

Monthly support/contact – less intensive support.

Less intensive support up to 24 months.


Across Australia 1 July 2013 – 31 March 2014: Total No Participants: 121716-24years 276 23%25-44years 603 50%45-59years 314 26%

DiagnosisMood Disorders (Depression, Bi-Polar) 814 67%Anxiety Disorders 565 46%Schizophrenia / Psychotic disorders 201 17%

Referral SourceEmployment Service 554 46%Specialist Mental Health 193 16%Self 133 11%Housing Service, Centrelink, Family Friend, Disability Support Service – all 4/5%

Employment Service Provider Centrelink Income Payment Type

DES 413 34% Newstart 631 52%JSA 482 40% DSP 371 31%

Youth Allowance 82 7%

Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) EmploymentAdelaide South (MIFSA) -Participant Outcomes Program Commencement to October 201471 Participants (intensive, less intensive etc.)

Main barriers to employment addressed by participants doing things they could not do before:

• Engaging in Drug & Alcohol Programs - 1

• Engaging in clinical treatment - 29

• Accessing appropriate housing - 7

• Accessing financial counselling/support - 12

• Reconnecting with family/friends - 18

• Establishing daily routines - 28

• Taking public transport - 5

• Joining community groups - 28

• Looking after their house - 9

• Taking active role in self-care - 3

• Psychosocial Counselling - 2

Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) EmploymentAdelaide South (MIFSA) -Participant Outcomes Program Commencement to October 201471 Participants (intensive, less intensive etc.)

Economic participation goals achieved by:

Commencing full-time employment - 6

Commencing part-time employment - 5

Commencing casual employment - 3

Commencing voluntary work - 15

Commencing further education at Uni / TAFE - 12

Commencing other training courses - 6 Employment outcomes:

Maintained 8h/w employment (between 13wks & 26 weeks) - 2



Maintained 15h/w employment (26 weeks and over) - 2

Arkaroola

Personal Helpers and Mentors Program (PHaMs ) - Employment

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