June 24, 2024 • 20 mins
This is an edited version of our 2020 two-part podcast Celebrating PARCs, hosted by Chief Marketing Officer Robyn Haydon.
Prevention and Recovery Care services (PARCs) are short and extended residential and day programs that provides 24-hour support in a “home-like” environment to people experiencing mental ill health and whose recovery can be supported without hospital admission. PARCs also supports people discharged from hospital who are not quite ready to return home.
ermha365 delivers PARCs in South Yarra, Barwon and Warrnambool for partners Alfred Health, Barwon Health and Southwest Healthcare.
Guests: Karenza Louis-Smith (ermha365 CEO), Sally Wall, Senior Manager, Mental Health, Forensic and Community Services, Kez and Sharon (PARC participants).
ermha365 provides mental health and disability support for people in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Find out more about our services at our website.
Helplines (Australia):
Lifeline 13 11 14
QLIFE 1800 184 527
13 YARN 13 92 76
Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467
ermha365 acknowledges that our work in the community takes place on the Traditional Lands of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and therefore respectfully recognise their Elders, past and present, and the ongoing Custodianship of the Land and Water by all Members of these Communities.
We recognise people with lived experience who contribute to GET REAL podcast, and those who love, support and care for them. We recognise their strength, courage and unique perspective as a vital contribution so that we can learn, grow and achieve better outcomes together.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
ermha365 tean (00:00):
Get Real is recorded on the unceded lands of
the Boon, wurrung andWurundjeri peoples of the Kulin
Nation.
We acknowledge and pay ourrespects to their elders, past
and present.
We also acknowledge that theFirst Peoples of Australia are
the first storytellers, thefirst artists and the first
creators of culture and wecelebrate their enduring
(00:21):
connections to country knowledgeand stories.
Robyn Haydon (00:24):
celebrate their enduring connections to country
knowledge and stories.
Welcome to Get Real.
Talking Mental Health andDisability.
I'm Robyn Haydon and this weekon Get Real, we are celebrating
parks.
So if you haven't heard of onebefore, what is a park?
Well, park stands forPrevention and Recovery Care
Services.
Parks are short-term mentalhealth treatment services
(00:46):
located in the community.
They're residential programswith a recovery focus, helping
people to get well and to staywell.
So what PARC's do is theyprovide early intervention for
people who are becoming unwell,as well as help for people who
are in the early stages ofrecovery from an acute
psychiatric episode and who needsupport to strengthen and
(01:07):
consolidate the gains thatthey've made in an inpatient
setting.
ermh a 365 has been managingparks for more than 10 years as
a psychosocial support servicesprovider, working with our
clinical mental health partners,so our team set up the very
first women-only park inVictoria.
Today, I'll be talking to awhole bunch of people about
(01:29):
celebrating our parks.
First I'm talking to karenzaLouis-Smith, who is the CEO of e
rmha365.
Karenza, why are we in thebusiness of parks?
Why are parks so important toerma365?
Karenza Louis-Smith (01:43):
ERrma, I think what a PARC does, robyn,
is it provides that what we calla step up or a step down from
acute mental health care.
So people in the community whoare starting to become unwell
may not need to go into ahospital setting, but they do
need some more intensive supportthan they would perhaps get at
home or in a community service.
(02:03):
So it's a residential programthat sort of sits halfway
between a hospital and halfwaybetween the community.
So it's not a ward, it doesn'thave hospital beds, but it does
have staff from a hospitalsetting.
So it has a psychiatrist,psychologists and nurses in
there, as well as what we wouldcall psychosocial mental health
workers who help people to setsome recovery goals and help
(02:25):
them to think about how to getthemselves feeling well again so
they can go back home.
And it's also that gap betweenyou know, when the hospital
discharges you and you have togo straight home.
That can be really frighteningand overwhelming for people.
So it bridges that gap too.
So it might be that I've beenin hospital for an acute stay so
I've been very, very unwell.
It enables me to have that stepdown so I can start getting
(02:48):
ready to go back home.
So a park really bridges thatgap and it's a fantastic part of
the mental health treatmentsystem here in Australia.
Robyn Haydon (02:59):
So what is it about ermha PARCs that make them
a bit different from other parkservices?
Karenza Louis-Smith (03:06):
The value of support at park is that every
moment is a learning moment.
So it's an opportunity for usto work one-on-one with people
on their individual needs,what's happening and going on in
their lives, and our model,with a blend of group and
individual support.
It's underpinned by routine andso it really helps to encourage
and enable that.
So we've heard from people Imean, we talk often to people
(03:29):
that come through our parks totell us what is it that's
different, what is it that'sworked for you?
And they say that you know,what makes a stay at Irma
different perhaps to other parksis because we're actually out
in the community, in that space,in the park, with people.
We're not stuck in an office,we're not behind a door, we're
very much part of thistherapeutic community that we're
building that helps people tostart to recover and really
(03:52):
think about how to, you know,getting well and staying well.
Robyn Haydon (03:57):
Right now I'm joined by Kez, one of our
consumers who's had the benefitof experiencing Irma 365 Park
Support.
Can you tell us a little bitabout your background?
How did you actually come tothe Park Service?
How did you find out about us?
Kez (04:14):
I had a case manager with Monash Health and one day told
me about parks and I was reallynervous and anxious about coming
because I don't deal withchange very well.
It took me a couple of days tosettle in, but after that, like
I just got a lot out of it andwhat was happening for you
before parks?
Robyn Haydon (04:35):
Where were you going before parks to get help
with your mental?
Kez (04:38):
health Hospital admissions.
I'd have to ring the police toget taken to hospital to get
help.
The hospital staff would arguethat it was a police matter, not
a mental health.
And the police would argue itwas a mental health matter, not
a police matter, because Ihadn't done anything.
Karenza Louis-Smith (04:53):
Right.
Kez (04:53):
And they would stand there arguing and I'd be there.
Well, shut up and someone helpme.
Robyn Haydon (04:59):
And that's the struggle, isn't it?
It's how do you get the helpthat you need when you know that
setting maybe was nobody knewwhat the right way was to to
help you.
So thank goodness you gotreferred to parks because in
speaking to you early you weretelling me how much park has
helped you over that very longperiod of time.
(05:20):
So when you first came intopark know how often were you
coming back to Parks, would yousay.
Kez (05:27):
Initially about once, twice a year, but I'd end up rather
ill and for about two and a halfyears I was coming three
monthly and then, after Parkstarted, which is a group that
arose out of parks, and going tothat, I've only been coming six
(05:54):
months away again now?
Robyn Haydon (05:56):
Yeah, that's amazing, isn't it?
So you know you've experiencedthe park support in the park,
but then it sounds like AfterParksarks has been something
that's allowed you to stretchout your time between parks
visits.
Can you tell me?
A little bit about theAfterparks support and what
that's like and what that doesfor you.
Kez (06:15):
It's just a place that we can go to.
They run various types ofgroups, some arts and crafts,
sometimes an outing, but Ireally love the self-help
recovery group because it getsme to keep looking at myself and
helping me to continue to growand recover from my mental
(06:35):
health, because, with the helpof PAPs after PAPs and my
psychotherapists, I'm aiming atcoming back only once a year.
Robyn Haydon (06:44):
What does that mean for your life?
To be able to manage yourmental health better in that way
?
Kez (06:50):
Pups has encouraged me to talk more instead of
internalising.
I still internalise a lot, butI'm getting better.
That's my next stage ofrecovery is to talk about what's
going on inside me, even if Idon't understand what's
happening.
I've always had to look aftermyself from a very young age and
(07:11):
I've never had anyone there tohelp me and I was never believed
as a child, what Parks has donefor me.
They believe me and theygenuinely care about me and it's
really helped my self-esteemand self-confidence Knowing that
(07:32):
I've got a safe place to comeand get well without being
judged.
It would have to be my fondestmemory of Parks.
Feels like a home.
It's not clinical.
Don't be afraid to reach outfor help.
Even though change is scary,it's a good thing.
It's very empowering changing.
(07:53):
Sometimes you've just got towhite-knuckle it to get through.
Robyn Haydon (07:57):
Yeah, absolutely.
That is great advice and thebest possible advice for anybody
, from somebody who's been thereand has done it and is
continuing to do it.
Kez (08:08):
I don't know where I would be without Parks today.
It's played such an integralrole in my recovery and that's
what Parks stands for Preventionand Recovery Care.
ermha365 team (08:20):
Services.
Robyn Haydon (08:22):
So let's have a chat about the After Park
Service.
What is an After Park Service?
What is that all about?
I believe that is also one ofour innovations that Irma365 has
introduced.
Karenza Louis-Smith (08:35):
Yeah, thanks, robyn, for asking about
that.
What we wanted to do was tomake sure that when people left
parks, they had all of thesupport that they needed in the
community so they could stay inthe community.
What we found, and why weintroduced it, was after, you
know, you'd stayed in a park for21 days it might be three
months later you start to becomeunwell again, and clients were
saying to us you know, the firstfew months were okay, but as
they began to get unwell, allthose things that they learned
(08:58):
became a bit harder.
They told us it was reallyimportant.
They didn't feel abandonedafter they left the park setting
and they needed to know thatthere was ongoing support if
they needed it, and that supportwas provided by people that
already knew them and knew aboutthem, so they didn't have to
tell their story over and overand over again.
And so we took that feedbackand we said, right, let's pilot
(09:18):
a special program for peoplewhen they leave parks.
And so we set that up, and whatwe found was peer support is a
really important element of theafter parks experience.
So we set up peer social groupsthat have formed as a result of
after parks, and so people haveactually stayed together in
those peer networks.
So we found that park residentsbegan to support each other as
(09:39):
well as being able to dip in anddip out of support with Irma
that they know is there andavailable for them.
So it created a whole newnetwork for people.
And the goal really, robin is,when you've come into a park is
to get those skills that youneed, those relapse prevention
strategies, and to have yourrelapse prevention plan but also
the supports around you so thatwhen you do leave the park
(10:02):
you've got multiple things todraw upon.
And that might be the peersthat have gone through the
program with you.
It might be the Irma staff, whoyou know and trust, and then it
might be other people in yourlife as well that are part of
your then bigger recoverycommunity.
Robyn Haydon (10:15):
Yeah, those relationships are really
important.
Can you talk about how we'veadapted our park's practices to
respond to our partner's needsin the various locations in
which we operate?
Karenza Louis-Smith (10:27):
A park is a collaboration between clinical
mental health and a communitymental health service and it's
really driven by the needs andthe demand that clinical mental
health is seeing, which meansthat we, you know it's essential
that we work in partnership andwe actually help clinical
mental health services solvetheir problems.
So so, for example, at Barwin weincreased park beds and we
(10:48):
increased them from six up toeight because we found there was
a demand and a need for beds, agreater need for beds, and so
being able to provide more bedsin a park can actually help to
reduce some of the pressure onclinical beds and if we can do
that, that can reduce clinicalpresentations, take the demand
off.
You know a service system thatwe know is under huge pressure
(11:09):
and we know that demand forclinical beds in Victoria far
outstrips the number of bedsthat are available.
So by saying, yep, let's putsome more beds in a park, that
really helps the clinical mentalhealth service manage the
demand for its clinical bed.
So those people who are mostunwell get into a clinical bed,
but they can step down as theybecome stable straight into a
park, which means that clinicalbed is there for someone else
(11:31):
who's acutely unwell.
Robyn Haydon (11:34):
Here's Sally Wall, our Senior Manager of Community
Services.
Sally, can you tell us a littlebit about the type of people
that are supported by Irma'sParks?
Sally Wall (11:44):
Obviously it's people with a mental illness and
have experience with a clinicalmental health service.
They're often referred by theirclinician or a lot of people
also make self-referrals.
So people have a whole range ofdiagnoses.
They may have had depression,they may have schizophrenia,
(12:04):
they may have you know the wholegamut of mental health
conditions.
One of the things that PARC isis a step-up model, so that's
actually supporting peoplebefore they end up in a clinical
space, or also a step-downmodel, which is people exiting
out of an acute clinical space.
Robyn Haydon (12:24):
So what is it about Irma Parks?
Would you say that make them alittle bit different from other
types of park services?
Sally Wall (12:32):
Each park's really different, and that's one of the
things that we celebrate atIrma that all of our parks are
very different and they're basedon the people that we're
supporting.
But I think the thing thatmakes our parks really special
and different is the team thatwe provide.
When someone comes into parks,they're there for up to 28 days,
(12:55):
so obviously it's not just 28days of free time.
We have a whole range of groupactivities.
One of the really interestingparts about PAR is every
opportunity is a chance forlearning and for growth.
So that is about the people thatwe support in parks having, you
(13:16):
know, having one-on-oneconversations with workers about
some of their aspirations,their fears, a whole range of
things being in the moment,doing some mindfulness with
someone if they need it there.
And then it's about having apresence with people.
The teams of our parks arenever locked away in an office,
except if there's a, you know, ateam meeting or what have you.
(13:38):
It's absolutely about having apresence out in the facility.
They're just being so.
It might be doing a jigsaw withsomeone, it might be working in
the veggie garden, it might bedoing some art with someone,
cooking a meal together.
It's always about havingconversations and doing stuff
with people, because oftenpeople you know sitting talking
(14:00):
to someone one-on-one can bequite challenging.
But if you're doing somethingalongside someone, for instance,
you know digging in the veggiegarden picking beans.
You know digging in the veggiegarden picking beans.
You know cutting up the veggiesfor dinner.
But it's those incidentalconversations that are so
powerful, and I guess one of thethings that's important about
parks is that relationship thatdevelops between our workers and
(14:25):
the people who are having astay there and the people who
are having a stay there.
Robyn Haydon (14:29):
Now we'll hear from one of the people who has
visited our Barwon Park, sharon,and Sharon has agreed to share
some insights of her experiencethere, so welcome Sharon.
Sharon (14:44):
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you
came to Park?
I was in hospital with a mentalillness a reoccurring mental
illness and I was asked if Iwanted to come to Park.
I pretty much didn't haveanywhere else to go, as good as
what Park is.
It was the best option for meand it was the right move,
(15:04):
definitely the right move.
Robyn Haydon (15:06):
So what were you experiencing when you came into
park as much as you feelcomfortable sharing with with
listeners and what were yourgoals?
What did you want to achievewhile while you were at your
park stay?
Sharon (15:19):
I was in a pretty bad way before I come to park.
Physically, mentally, I wascompletely drained.
I didn't know where I wascompletely drained, I didn't
know where I was pretty much,and I just wanted to get well
again.
And I knew I couldn't do it onmy own.
And I don't think I'd be whereI am if I hadn't have come here.
(15:42):
There was no judgment, thestaff were so good, all the
activities, the help.
I couldn't have asked for abetter place.
I'm pretty good at isolatingmyself, or have been in the past
, so it took a bit of courage.
But I felt very safe and I wasencouraged to do as much as I
(16:04):
felt comfortable with.
I loved to meditate.
I learned so much.
I could never meditate, Icouldn't stop my mind.
But at Park, in the room thatwe had, didn't matter which
staff member, I just felt socomfortable and at ease.
I'd go back to my roomcompletely relaxed, back to my
(16:30):
room completely relaxed.
I'd been through a lot oftrauma, a lot of things had
happened and I just graduallystarted to feel better, with the
help and support from everyone.
As I said before, I learnt somuch.
I felt like I had everybodyhere sort of heading me into the
(16:51):
right direction, where I wantedto go.
I honestly don't think I'd behere if I hadn't have come here
and had the help and supportthat I had, I don't know where I
would have ended up.
Robyn Haydon (17:03):
Thank you.
That's a very brave thing, Ithink, to share with listeners
that that's where you were atthe time.
I know you mentioned that you'dhad some outreach support after
you left Parks physically.
Sharon (17:17):
I had a little unit to go to through the Department of
Housing.
I had assistance going to havea look moving in, to have a look
Moving in.
Once I got there I was on theoutreach program.
I was really worried that I wasjust going to be sort of dumped
(17:37):
there and left on my own.
But I was on the outreachprogram and that was really good
too, knowing that that supportwas there for me all the time,
heading me in the rightdirection.
Simple things like I hadn'tcaught a bus for probably 40
years.
I didn't know how to look atthe timetable, especially on
computers and things like that,and some people might think it's
(17:59):
a silly, simple little thing Ishould have known.
But if I'd never done it orhadn't done it for 40 years,
that was a big thing.
So I had all sorts of supportand I was encouraged as well.
Once again, as far as I couldpush myself and that was a big
part of my recovery it's thededicated staff.
(18:22):
They just give 100% to everysingle person.
They might be busy with onething, but as soon as they get a
chance they'll be back.
They'll get back to you theencouragement.
If I had a negative, I wastaught how to try and turn it
into a positive.
I was encouraged.
(18:42):
I was taught so many things.
If I had gold medals to give,it would go straight to the
staff, because I don't knowwhere I'd be without them.
Fantastic people, fantasticteam.
They really are a team and theyput effort into all of us.
(19:03):
I was really unwell but lookingback, I just think I was
privileged to have such apositive experience.
I do consider it to be aprivilege to have been able to
come here and get the help thatI needed.
Robyn Haydon (19:21):
Through our parks.
The Irma 365 team providestailored, specific, individual
and group-based support topeople who really need it.
Of course, our staff areinstrumental in providing that
support.
Sally Wall (19:36):
It just wouldn't happen without them.
You've been listening to GetReal talking mental health and
disability brought to you by theteam at Irma 365.
Thanks for listening and we'llsee you next time.
ermha365 team (19:45):
We recognise people with lived experience of
mental ill health and disability, as well as their families and
carers.
We recognise their strength,courage and unique perspective
as a vital contribution to thispodcast so we can learn, grow
and achieve better outcomestogether.
Get Real is recorded on the unceded lands of
the Boon, wurrung andWurundjeri peoples of the Kulin
Nation.
We acknowledge and pay ourrespects to their elders, past
and present.
We also acknowledge that theFirst Peoples of Australia are
the first storytellers, thefirst artists and the first
creators of culture and wecelebrate their enduring
(00:21):
connections to country knowledgeand stories.
Robyn Haydon (00:24):
celebrate their enduring connections to country
knowledge and stories.
Welcome to Get Real.
Talking Mental Health andDisability.
I'm Robyn Haydon and this weekon Get Real, we are celebrating
parks.
So if you haven't heard of onebefore, what is a park?
Well, park stands forPrevention and Recovery Care
Services.
Parks are short-term mentalhealth treatment services
(00:46):
located in the community.
They're residential programswith a recovery focus, helping
people to get well and to staywell.
So what PARC's do is theyprovide early intervention for
people who are becoming unwell,as well as help for people who
are in the early stages ofrecovery from an acute
psychiatric episode and who needsupport to strengthen and
(01:07):
consolidate the gains thatthey've made in an inpatient
setting.
ermh a 365 has been managingparks for more than 10 years as
a psychosocial support servicesprovider, working with our
clinical mental health partners,so our team set up the very
first women-only park inVictoria.
Today, I'll be talking to awhole bunch of people about
(01:29):
celebrating our parks.
First I'm talking to karenzaLouis-Smith, who is the CEO of e
rmha365.
Karenza, why are we in thebusiness of parks?
Why are parks so important toerma365?
Karenza Louis-Smith (01:43):
ERrma, I think what a PARC does, robyn,
is it provides that what we calla step up or a step down from
acute mental health care.
So people in the community whoare starting to become unwell
may not need to go into ahospital setting, but they do
need some more intensive supportthan they would perhaps get at
home or in a community service.
(02:03):
So it's a residential programthat sort of sits halfway
between a hospital and halfwaybetween the community.
So it's not a ward, it doesn'thave hospital beds, but it does
have staff from a hospitalsetting.
So it has a psychiatrist,psychologists and nurses in
there, as well as what we wouldcall psychosocial mental health
workers who help people to setsome recovery goals and help
(02:25):
them to think about how to getthemselves feeling well again so
they can go back home.
And it's also that gap betweenyou know, when the hospital
discharges you and you have togo straight home.
That can be really frighteningand overwhelming for people.
So it bridges that gap too.
So it might be that I've beenin hospital for an acute stay so
I've been very, very unwell.
It enables me to have that stepdown so I can start getting
(02:48):
ready to go back home.
So a park really bridges thatgap and it's a fantastic part of
the mental health treatmentsystem here in Australia.
Robyn Haydon (02:59):
So what is it about ermha PARCs that make them
a bit different from other parkservices?
Karenza Louis-Smith (03:06):
The value of support at park is that every
moment is a learning moment.
So it's an opportunity for usto work one-on-one with people
on their individual needs,what's happening and going on in
their lives, and our model,with a blend of group and
individual support.
It's underpinned by routine andso it really helps to encourage
and enable that.
So we've heard from people Imean, we talk often to people
(03:29):
that come through our parks totell us what is it that's
different, what is it that'sworked for you?
And they say that you know,what makes a stay at Irma
different perhaps to other parksis because we're actually out
in the community, in that space,in the park, with people.
We're not stuck in an office,we're not behind a door, we're
very much part of thistherapeutic community that we're
building that helps people tostart to recover and really
(03:52):
think about how to, you know,getting well and staying well.
Robyn Haydon (03:57):
Right now I'm joined by Kez, one of our
consumers who's had the benefitof experiencing Irma 365 Park
Support.
Can you tell us a little bitabout your background?
How did you actually come tothe Park Service?
How did you find out about us?
Kez (04:14):
I had a case manager with Monash Health and one day told
me about parks and I was reallynervous and anxious about coming
because I don't deal withchange very well.
It took me a couple of days tosettle in, but after that, like
I just got a lot out of it andwhat was happening for you
before parks?
Robyn Haydon (04:35):
Where were you going before parks to get help
with your mental?
Kez (04:38):
health Hospital admissions.
I'd have to ring the police toget taken to hospital to get
help.
The hospital staff would arguethat it was a police matter, not
a mental health.
And the police would argue itwas a mental health matter, not
a police matter, because Ihadn't done anything.
Karenza Louis-Smith (04:53):
Right.
Kez (04:53):
And they would stand there arguing and I'd be there.
Well, shut up and someone helpme.
Robyn Haydon (04:59):
And that's the struggle, isn't it?
It's how do you get the helpthat you need when you know that
setting maybe was nobody knewwhat the right way was to to
help you.
So thank goodness you gotreferred to parks because in
speaking to you early you weretelling me how much park has
helped you over that very longperiod of time.
(05:20):
So when you first came intopark know how often were you
coming back to Parks, would yousay.
Kez (05:27):
Initially about once, twice a year, but I'd end up rather
ill and for about two and a halfyears I was coming three
monthly and then, after Parkstarted, which is a group that
arose out of parks, and going tothat, I've only been coming six
(05:54):
months away again now?
Robyn Haydon (05:56):
Yeah, that's amazing, isn't it?
So you know you've experiencedthe park support in the park,
but then it sounds like AfterParksarks has been something
that's allowed you to stretchout your time between parks
visits.
Can you tell me?
A little bit about theAfterparks support and what
that's like and what that doesfor you.
Kez (06:15):
It's just a place that we can go to.
They run various types ofgroups, some arts and crafts,
sometimes an outing, but Ireally love the self-help
recovery group because it getsme to keep looking at myself and
helping me to continue to growand recover from my mental
(06:35):
health, because, with the helpof PAPs after PAPs and my
psychotherapists, I'm aiming atcoming back only once a year.
Robyn Haydon (06:44):
What does that mean for your life?
To be able to manage yourmental health better in that way
?
Kez (06:50):
Pups has encouraged me to talk more instead of
internalising.
I still internalise a lot, butI'm getting better.
That's my next stage ofrecovery is to talk about what's
going on inside me, even if Idon't understand what's
happening.
I've always had to look aftermyself from a very young age and
(07:11):
I've never had anyone there tohelp me and I was never believed
as a child, what Parks has donefor me.
They believe me and theygenuinely care about me and it's
really helped my self-esteemand self-confidence Knowing that
(07:32):
I've got a safe place to comeand get well without being
judged.
It would have to be my fondestmemory of Parks.
Feels like a home.
It's not clinical.
Don't be afraid to reach outfor help.
Even though change is scary,it's a good thing.
It's very empowering changing.
(07:53):
Sometimes you've just got towhite-knuckle it to get through.
Robyn Haydon (07:57):
Yeah, absolutely.
That is great advice and thebest possible advice for anybody
, from somebody who's been thereand has done it and is
continuing to do it.
Kez (08:08):
I don't know where I would be without Parks today.
It's played such an integralrole in my recovery and that's
what Parks stands for Preventionand Recovery Care.
ermha365 team (08:20):
Services.
Robyn Haydon (08:22):
So let's have a chat about the After Park
Service.
What is an After Park Service?
What is that all about?
I believe that is also one ofour innovations that Irma365 has
introduced.
Karenza Louis-Smith (08:35):
Yeah, thanks, robyn, for asking about
that.
What we wanted to do was tomake sure that when people left
parks, they had all of thesupport that they needed in the
community so they could stay inthe community.
What we found, and why weintroduced it, was after, you
know, you'd stayed in a park for21 days it might be three
months later you start to becomeunwell again, and clients were
saying to us you know, the firstfew months were okay, but as
they began to get unwell, allthose things that they learned
(08:58):
became a bit harder.
They told us it was reallyimportant.
They didn't feel abandonedafter they left the park setting
and they needed to know thatthere was ongoing support if
they needed it, and that supportwas provided by people that
already knew them and knew aboutthem, so they didn't have to
tell their story over and overand over again.
And so we took that feedbackand we said, right, let's pilot
(09:18):
a special program for peoplewhen they leave parks.
And so we set that up, and whatwe found was peer support is a
really important element of theafter parks experience.
So we set up peer social groupsthat have formed as a result of
after parks, and so people haveactually stayed together in
those peer networks.
So we found that park residentsbegan to support each other as
(09:39):
well as being able to dip in anddip out of support with Irma
that they know is there andavailable for them.
So it created a whole newnetwork for people.
And the goal really, robin is,when you've come into a park is
to get those skills that youneed, those relapse prevention
strategies, and to have yourrelapse prevention plan but also
the supports around you so thatwhen you do leave the park
(10:02):
you've got multiple things todraw upon.
And that might be the peersthat have gone through the
program with you.
It might be the Irma staff, whoyou know and trust, and then it
might be other people in yourlife as well that are part of
your then bigger recoverycommunity.
Robyn Haydon (10:15):
Yeah, those relationships are really
important.
Can you talk about how we'veadapted our park's practices to
respond to our partner's needsin the various locations in
which we operate?
Karenza Louis-Smith (10:27):
A park is a collaboration between clinical
mental health and a communitymental health service and it's
really driven by the needs andthe demand that clinical mental
health is seeing, which meansthat we, you know it's essential
that we work in partnership andwe actually help clinical
mental health services solvetheir problems.
So so, for example, at Barwin weincreased park beds and we
(10:48):
increased them from six up toeight because we found there was
a demand and a need for beds, agreater need for beds, and so
being able to provide more bedsin a park can actually help to
reduce some of the pressure onclinical beds and if we can do
that, that can reduce clinicalpresentations, take the demand
off.
You know a service system thatwe know is under huge pressure
(11:09):
and we know that demand forclinical beds in Victoria far
outstrips the number of bedsthat are available.
So by saying, yep, let's putsome more beds in a park, that
really helps the clinical mentalhealth service manage the
demand for its clinical bed.
So those people who are mostunwell get into a clinical bed,
but they can step down as theybecome stable straight into a
park, which means that clinicalbed is there for someone else
(11:31):
who's acutely unwell.
Robyn Haydon (11:34):
Here's Sally Wall, our Senior Manager of Community
Services.
Sally, can you tell us a littlebit about the type of people
that are supported by Irma'sParks?
Sally Wall (11:44):
Obviously it's people with a mental illness and
have experience with a clinicalmental health service.
They're often referred by theirclinician or a lot of people
also make self-referrals.
So people have a whole range ofdiagnoses.
They may have had depression,they may have schizophrenia,
(12:04):
they may have you know the wholegamut of mental health
conditions.
One of the things that PARC isis a step-up model, so that's
actually supporting peoplebefore they end up in a clinical
space, or also a step-downmodel, which is people exiting
out of an acute clinical space.
Robyn Haydon (12:24):
So what is it about Irma Parks?
Would you say that make them alittle bit different from other
types of park services?
Sally Wall (12:32):
Each park's really different, and that's one of the
things that we celebrate atIrma that all of our parks are
very different and they're basedon the people that we're
supporting.
But I think the thing thatmakes our parks really special
and different is the team thatwe provide.
When someone comes into parks,they're there for up to 28 days,
(12:55):
so obviously it's not just 28days of free time.
We have a whole range of groupactivities.
One of the really interestingparts about PAR is every
opportunity is a chance forlearning and for growth.
So that is about the people thatwe support in parks having, you
(13:16):
know, having one-on-oneconversations with workers about
some of their aspirations,their fears, a whole range of
things being in the moment,doing some mindfulness with
someone if they need it there.
And then it's about having apresence with people.
The teams of our parks arenever locked away in an office,
except if there's a, you know, ateam meeting or what have you.
(13:38):
It's absolutely about having apresence out in the facility.
They're just being so.
It might be doing a jigsaw withsomeone, it might be working in
the veggie garden, it might bedoing some art with someone,
cooking a meal together.
It's always about havingconversations and doing stuff
with people, because oftenpeople you know sitting talking
(14:00):
to someone one-on-one can bequite challenging.
But if you're doing somethingalongside someone, for instance,
you know digging in the veggiegarden picking beans.
You know digging in the veggiegarden picking beans.
You know cutting up the veggiesfor dinner.
But it's those incidentalconversations that are so
powerful, and I guess one of thethings that's important about
parks is that relationship thatdevelops between our workers and
(14:25):
the people who are having astay there and the people who
are having a stay there.
Robyn Haydon (14:29):
Now we'll hear from one of the people who has
visited our Barwon Park, sharon,and Sharon has agreed to share
some insights of her experiencethere, so welcome Sharon.
Sharon (14:44):
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you
came to Park?
I was in hospital with a mentalillness a reoccurring mental
illness and I was asked if Iwanted to come to Park.
I pretty much didn't haveanywhere else to go, as good as
what Park is.
It was the best option for meand it was the right move,
(15:04):
definitely the right move.
Robyn Haydon (15:06):
So what were you experiencing when you came into
park as much as you feelcomfortable sharing with with
listeners and what were yourgoals?
What did you want to achievewhile while you were at your
park stay?
Sharon (15:19):
I was in a pretty bad way before I come to park.
Physically, mentally, I wascompletely drained.
I didn't know where I wascompletely drained, I didn't
know where I was pretty much,and I just wanted to get well
again.
And I knew I couldn't do it onmy own.
And I don't think I'd be whereI am if I hadn't have come here.
(15:42):
There was no judgment, thestaff were so good, all the
activities, the help.
I couldn't have asked for abetter place.
I'm pretty good at isolatingmyself, or have been in the past
, so it took a bit of courage.
But I felt very safe and I wasencouraged to do as much as I
(16:04):
felt comfortable with.
I loved to meditate.
I learned so much.
I could never meditate, Icouldn't stop my mind.
But at Park, in the room thatwe had, didn't matter which
staff member, I just felt socomfortable and at ease.
I'd go back to my roomcompletely relaxed, back to my
(16:30):
room completely relaxed.
I'd been through a lot oftrauma, a lot of things had
happened and I just graduallystarted to feel better, with the
help and support from everyone.
As I said before, I learnt somuch.
I felt like I had everybodyhere sort of heading me into the
(16:51):
right direction, where I wantedto go.
I honestly don't think I'd behere if I hadn't have come here
and had the help and supportthat I had, I don't know where I
would have ended up.
Robyn Haydon (17:03):
Thank you.
That's a very brave thing, Ithink, to share with listeners
that that's where you were atthe time.
I know you mentioned that you'dhad some outreach support after
you left Parks physically.
Sharon (17:17):
I had a little unit to go to through the Department of
Housing.
I had assistance going to havea look moving in, to have a look
Moving in.
Once I got there I was on theoutreach program.
I was really worried that I wasjust going to be sort of dumped
(17:37):
there and left on my own.
But I was on the outreachprogram and that was really good
too, knowing that that supportwas there for me all the time,
heading me in the rightdirection.
Simple things like I hadn'tcaught a bus for probably 40
years.
I didn't know how to look atthe timetable, especially on
computers and things like that,and some people might think it's
(17:59):
a silly, simple little thing Ishould have known.
But if I'd never done it orhadn't done it for 40 years,
that was a big thing.
So I had all sorts of supportand I was encouraged as well.
Once again, as far as I couldpush myself and that was a big
part of my recovery it's thededicated staff.
(18:22):
They just give 100% to everysingle person.
They might be busy with onething, but as soon as they get a
chance they'll be back.
They'll get back to you theencouragement.
If I had a negative, I wastaught how to try and turn it
into a positive.
I was encouraged.
(18:42):
I was taught so many things.
If I had gold medals to give,it would go straight to the
staff, because I don't knowwhere I'd be without them.
Fantastic people, fantasticteam.
They really are a team and theyput effort into all of us.
(19:03):
I was really unwell but lookingback, I just think I was
privileged to have such apositive experience.
I do consider it to be aprivilege to have been able to
come here and get the help thatI needed.
Robyn Haydon (19:21):
Through our parks.
The Irma 365 team providestailored, specific, individual
and group-based support topeople who really need it.
Of course, our staff areinstrumental in providing that
support.
Sally Wall (19:36):
It just wouldn't happen without them.
You've been listening to GetReal talking mental health and
disability brought to you by theteam at Irma 365.
Thanks for listening and we'llsee you next time.
ermha365 team (19:45):
We recognise people with lived experience of
mental ill health and disability, as well as their families and
carers.
We recognise their strength,courage and unique perspective
as a vital contribution to thispodcast so we can learn, grow
and achieve better outcomestogether.
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