The Inspire Clubhouse offers members a range of recovery-oriented activities and a chance to reconnect with their community in a non-clinical environment.

During the height of the pandemic social distancing requirements meant the Clubhouse doors had to shut, but according to Team Leader Kimberley Robinson, it also opened new ones.

“The closure meant we had to pause our group activities but presented us an opportunity to adapt and provide individual support to our members, focusing on activities they loved,” she said.

“From arts and craft, to music lessons and games, our life coaches worked hard under challenging circumstances to stay connected with those who depend on our clubhouse for mental wellbeing support.”

The individual support, while temporary, has been the silver lining in what could otherwise have been a very distressing time.

Ben Keith, a Clubhouse member for almost eight years, said the support helped him through the stress of isolation due to COVID-19.

“I was worried when I heard the Clubhouse was going to close because it’s such an important part of my life and my recovery,” he said.

“But being able to have the one-on-one support made it easier to deal with such a challenging time.”

Kimberley said it was not only members who had benefited.

“The staff are all reporting how providing the individual support gave them the chance to engage with and understand our members on a deeper level. This has led to stronger relationships between life coaches and members, which can only help their recoveries.”

With COVID-19 restrictions now easing, Inspire Clubhouse is open again for group activities, in line with the current health and safety regulations. Its programs are open to adults with a lived experience in mental illness and Clubhouse activities provide members with choice and control over their wellbeing journeys.

“If you’re experiencing mental or emotional hardship as a result of COVID-19 please get in touch. New faces are always welcome.”

For more information on the programs available visit www.selectability.com.au

The objectives of this pilot was to:

• provide an opportunity for you and your teams to try a new and innovative approach to deliver credible health literacy resources via SMS or email
• provide an opportunity for your patients to view similar patient stories, improve their knowledge around their recently diagnosed condition and provide some recommended websites and apps that could assist with their disease management.

Click here to view an infographic summarising the pilot outcomes achieved over the last 12 months.

NQPHN will not be extending the pilot or funding GoShare for our region in the 2020-21 financial year.

For those providers that are referring patients into the My Health For Life program there may be future opportunities to have licences provided for GoShare use to support increase referrals into this program.

For those of you that wish to keep using GoShare, Healthily are pleased to provide a discounted rate of $695 (ex GST) per year plus SMS costs, or you can take advantage of their campaign only option which is $129 per campaign (ex GST).

Reach out directly to Healthily regarding your licence options:

• Healthily Email – goshare@healthily.com.au
• Healthily Phone – 1800 60 33 33

Doctors will then have a seven-day window for consultation and discussion of the results with their patients, after which patients can access their results in their My Health Record.  

To enable this to happen, requesting doctors must send their eOrders electronically from a compliant practice management system such as Best Practice (Lava SP3 and later) and Medical Director (3.17.2 and later) and each practice doctor needs to have the ‘Opt-in’ functionality enabled in their software. The practice also needs to complete the attached form and email it to marketing@snp.com.au or fax to (07) 3318 7409.

For more information, please contact your Medical Liaison Manager on 1300 767 284.

Download the My Health Record pathology results upload guide.

Tania provides a range of evidence-based psychological interventions to support mental health recovery. This, combined with Tania’s extensive knowledge of the health system and local services, enables her to help clients confidently navigate their care journey.

With over 30 years of nursing experience, Tania is able to support clients in both their physical and mental health, through a holistic approach. Special counselling interests for Tania include:

• depression and anxiety
• pain management
• pregnancy and postnatal (Medicare provider)
• smoking cessation (qualified Tobacco Treatment Specialist)
• addiction.

Tania’s diverse nursing career started in 1989 and has included peri-operative, community, general practice, nursing education, adolescent health, project management, mental health, and addiction nursing. In 2013 she discovered a passion for supporting people in their mental health and addiction journeys and went on to qualify as a credentialed mental health nurse after post-graduate study.

In addition to private practice, her counselling experience spans across a variety of treatment environments inclusive of inpatient, outreach, and community-based settings.

Tania has recently published Keep Calm and Treat Addiction: Your 12-step guide to client recovery to demystify addiction treatment, and equip others inclusive of psychologists, social workers, nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, counsellors, youth workers, support workers, and chaplains (to name a few) to feel confident in working with their current client base who are struggling with addiction.

As a senior clinician, Tania regularly shares the concepts outlined in her book with health service providers. Ultimately, it is Tania’s desire to increase the access of evidence-based support for those struggling with addiction and mental illness.

Find out more at www.taniakellyhealth.com