Save The Hub Campaign

Cairns mental health hub wins crucial funding

Daniel Strudwick  Monday, February 28, 2011  © The Cairns Post
THE country's first support centre for mental health carers will reopen tomorrow after the State Government pledged to back the project for a year.

Queensland Mental Health Minister Curtis Pitt has announced one-off funding of $213,200 for the Cairns Mental Health Carers Support Hub after the Federal Government rejected a request for ongoing funds...(full story)

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Vital Service for Cairns Families now Closed

The Cairns Mental Health Carers Support Hub (“the Hub”), launched in October 2009, closed its doors to hundreds of families across Far North Queensland on 31st January 2011.

The Hub has been a vital and innovative addition to the Well Ways program (a family education service) run by Mental Illness Fellowship NQ Inc (“MIFNQ”).  The Hub has provided essential advice, counselling, referral and advocacy to families across Far North Queensland facing the challenges of loved ones suffering from mental illness. The Hub’s easily accessible ‘one stop shop’ approach has been a great success with families and services alike.  Amongst many achievements, it has seen a:

• threefold increase in family’s contacting the service;
• 300% increase in referrals from other services;
• 350% increase in referrals from the Hub to other service providers,  and
• a tenfold increase in our ability to provide counselling support to carers/families.

This service has been provided at an annual cost of only $160,000 and Andy Froggatt, CEO of MIFNQ says that, “By any standard this is fantastic value for money and is a great reflection of what is possible when local services work together to bring viable services to families”.  The Hub was initially funded as a trial by the Commonwealth Government, but despite its amazing success in helping Far North Queensland families, MIFNQ have been unable to secure a response regarding ongoing funding from the Minister for Mental Health, the Hon. Mark Butler.  This is despite a face to face meeting during his recent visit to Cairns and mental health being an apparent priority for the Gillard government. Member for Mulgrave, The Hon. Curtis Pitt says that, “…the service (the Hub) has the ‘runs on the board’ and has proven to be vital for Far North Queensland.”.

MIFNQ would like to thank all of its partners in this project, in particular Cairns Integrated Mental Health and ATODS service, Anglicare NQ and the Commonwealth Carer and Respite Centre. MIFNQ would also like to acknowledge the immense support we have received from the Hon Curtis Pitt in seeking funding for the Hub. 

Adrianne Hicks, MIFNQ’s Coordinator for the Hub assures the community of Far North Queensland that “MIFNQ will continue to fight to get the Hub resourced for the benefit of everyone in the region.  We know it works, has wide community support and has vastly improved the lives of hundreds of families in the region. None of us know when we might need this type of help for ourselves and our family.”.

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