Port Macquarie Community College is agitating to establish a $6 million, three year pilot program that tips traditional mental health strategies on their head.
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Already successfully operating in Sydney’s inner city and in Kogarah, The Recovery College model empowers people living with mental health issues.
And, according to the Port Macquarie Community College’s Dr Robbie Lloyd, the model is already ‘going gang-busters’.
Dr Lloyd is pushing to establish The Recovery College as a pilot program in four locations.
“Four community colleges in Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Mullumbimby and Lismore would be linked with the peak body – Community Colleges Australia – to support this pilot which models a possible statewide roll-out,” he said.
“TRC changes ‘patients, consumers and carers’ into ‘students’ who can then be equally involved alongside clinicians as equals in designing and delivering TRC programs of learning and life development courses, alongside programs to understand mental health issues more.
“This would see people living with mental health issues being empowered in their own lives through a journey.”
Dr Lloyd said the federal government’s mental health reforms are now underway and are coordinated by the Primary Health Networks using a stepped care primary health care model.
While this is welcome, the argument is that these measures do not address the community settings in which people need to sustain mental health and wellbeing, Dr Lloyd said.
This would see people living with mental health issues being empowered in their own lives through a journey
- Dr Robbie Lloyd
“Clinically focused care is important in addressing acute and persistent mental health problems, but it is not the full answer to achieving effective long term sustainable change in people’s lives in their family and community settings.
“The result is that persistent mental health problems keep draining the health budget.
“The Recovery College is about strengthening mental health knowledge and understanding, as well as developing skills and passions for life that create pathways back into work, society and positive relationships with family and friends.”
The community college offers a range of associated programs integrated with adult and community education to support the TRC model, and links with Endeavour Mental Health Recovery Clubhouse for a specific and very successful vocational development and jobs placement program.
Some of the other programs include, The Absolutely Everybody Choir of the School of Hard Knocks, Moving Forward with Confidence small group narrative sharing sessions, the Life Skills Express experiential learning program, the Stroke Recovery group and House With Many Stories program with Panthers Club.
“The Recovery College model has been making major advances in the UK and USA and recently in the inner city and south east Sydney at Kogarah,” Dr Lloyd said.
“And it is going gang-busters.
“A report from the south east Sydney TRC said ‘the approach offers a cost-effective program which empowers people to self-manage their symptoms, build resilience, become increasingly involved in meaningful roles and activities as citizens of their community’,”
Each site would be annually funded at $500,000 over the three year pilot at a total of just $6 million.
