passages
Passages Continues to Provide Vital Services
r es o u r c e c en t r e A newsletter from Passages Resource Centre
Total number of client visits
‘Change’ is the Theme at Passages For Passages client Jeff, ‘change’ has been the theme surrounding his life recently. Jeff first engaged with Passages at the age of 17, and has been accessing the service for nearly four years. During the first three years, Jeff would use the service to access the kitchen and bathroom facilities, as a place to send his mail, and as a facility to wash his clothes. During this time, Jeff was a heavy drinker and drug user. However, things have changed over the last nine months and he has since been engaging in some of the services which provide more than the bare necessities of life. Some of these services include accessing the education grant to become a qualified Chef at TAFE. He has also been a part of the accommodation and E3 programs offered at Passages. The external organisations he has accessed through Passages include DAWN (Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Network) and Youthlink. All of these services have helped him turn around a nonexistent relationship with his son, see his substance use cut down
significantly, and his self identity and worth improve dramatically. When Jeff was asked what changed for him to engage in the additional services available at Passages, his response was simply “trust” and “everything that you people [Passages staff] have been trying to get me to do finally just sunk in.” Jeff’s response proves that the patience and persistence shown by the Passages team goes a very long way in assisting in the rehabilitation of a disadvantaged person. The Passages staff see the clients’ improvement as a stage in their journey, not their destination. The staff look forward to continuing in Jeff’s progress to a better life.
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Male
327
404
2,793
1,809
3,794
2,888
1,920
2,618
2,178
1,841
2,431
2,063
Female
173
296
971
838
1,626
2,469
1,921
1,494
1,521
1,548
1,901
1,559
Total
500
700
3,764
2,647
5,420
5,357
3,841
4,112
3,699
3,389
4,332
3,622
Passages had a total of 1,113 individuals access the service in 2009. Of these individuals the highest age group was 19-21 years (58%). There were 819 referrals to specialised support agencies including those to financial, accommodation, health and counselling services. There were also 9,459 centrebased services used. Passages Resource Centre has seen 12,547 individuals since opening their doors in 1998.
We offer:
Passages Resource Centre is located at Bendat House: 22 Palmerston Street, Northbridge. It is ideally situated to engage with and provide services for Perth’s most disadvantaged young people – some as young as 12 years old.
• Support with difficulties resulting from things such as homelessness, poverty, family breakdown, abuse and mental illness
We seek to offer friendly, non-judgmental hospitality providing an environment that encourages trusting relationships and facilitates open dialogue with young people.
• Unconditional and non-judgmental hospitality within a safe environment • Access to laundry, kitchen and bathroom facilities • Free use of computer, telephone and mail services • Information workshops by key specialist agencies • Informal counselling and opportunities to be heard
• Avenue to promote a sense of belonging and self worth whilst countering feelings of isolation and marginalisation • Opportunities to develop social and life skills • Access to affordable accommodation
clothing,
food
and
• Advocacy and referrals to appropriate specialist agencies.
Help is Available Through DAYS The Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) is a partnership between Mission Australia and Next Step. The program offers an outpatient counselling service, a two to three week withdrawal program in East Perth and a three month respite program in Carlisle. Services are provided for young people aged 12-18 with some flexibility up to the age of 21 for those who are experiencing significantly problematic drug use. DAYS have an Outreach Worker who attends Passages every Tuesday morning to assist clients with their drug issues. The service provides 24 hour supportive care. Treatment services offered within these programs include: •
Comprehensive assessment
•
Case Management
• • • • • •
Individual counselling Medical assessment and review Clinical Psychology services Group programs Mentoring and outreach (including an Aboriginal mentor) Opiate and alcohol pharmacotherapy
• •
Parent and family counselling Alternate therapies which include - Art Therapy - Flower Essence - Music Therapy - Drama Therapy - Reiki - Nutrition Therapy
The Passages Management Committee thanks Scott Print for printing this newsletter.
Joint Venture Partners:
Rotary Club of Perth
Founding Partners:
The Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus Jerusalem
Issue 01 | Autumn 2010
Chairman’s Report The recent announcement of Patrick McGorry as Australian of the Year has refocused the community on Mental Health service delivery in Australia for those living with mental illness. A lot of troubled youth suffer from mild to severe mental problems due to drug and alcohol use. In an article written in The Australian newspaper on the weekend of 6th February 2010, Patrick McGorry states some interesting facts. Every four hours in Australia someone dies as a result of suicide. Suicide is the leading cause of death in people under 30 in Australia, more than road deaths. Only 35% of people with mental health problems have access to quality care, compared to 90% of people with physical illness. I agree with Patrick when he states that Australia needs a modern, unified system with early intervention as a feature for young people under 25. He states that Federal and State politicians, policy makers and the community have been let down by advisors who have retarded reform and have let our fragile mental health system fall into crisis. Patrick McGorry is a Researcher, the Executive Director of ORYGEN Youth Health and a Clinician at the National Youth Mental Health Foundation (Headspace). ORYGEN Youth Health, a Melbourne based mental health service for young people were forced to turn away 1000 young people with serious mental health issues last year. Headspace is a National Youth Mental Health Foundation service providing care for more than 20,000 young people and 93% are very positive about their care. However a National Survey indicates another 750,000 young people need help with the state of the mental health. Passages provides an extensive list of services which can be read about in this Newsletter. A lot of Passages clients suffer from mental health issues and therefore Passages has engaged some specific mental health counselling programs to provide services to clients. These services
Welcome to the new look Passages newsletter. The new logo symbolises exactly what Passages is about, an “A-OK hand gesture” symbolising the hope provided at Passages which can help to make things “OK” for street present youth. The logo’s tagline - Creating new destinies - encompasses the mission at Passages, to create opportunities for a brighter future. I hope you enjoy the fresh new look.
include Youthlink and the Mobile Mind Care program with the Perth Primary Care Network. Both of these services provide counselling for people with mental health issues. Passages also assists clients with, or refers them to, a number of programs and services that can assist in dealing with mental health issues in conjunction with other issues such as accommodation, employment, Centrelink benefits, education, legal advice and drug and alcohol use. I hope that you continue to support Passages and are encouraged by the projects undertaken and services offered by the Centre due to the dedication of our Manager Danielle Tilbrook and her staff.
David J Reed Chairman Management Committee
Passages Resource Centre, 22 Palmerston Street, Northbridge WA 6003 | P (08) 9228 1478 | F (08) 9228 9572 | W www.vinnies.org.au