kathryn buxton - merri community health services

Volunteers & Consumer Leaders:

Strengthening & Supporting Mental

Health Sector change

Kathryn Buxton

Team Leader, Mental Health Support Services

Core focus

Merri Health creates healthy, connectedcommunities through local health servicesfor people at every age and stage of life.

2

Our services span across:

• Children & young people

• Carer support

• Chronic disease management

• Mental Health

• Disability support

• Population health

• Aged care

3

Snapshot

• 165,463 people seen between 2014-2015

• 356 staff members

• 11 sites

• 156 active volunteers

• 40 + years serving the community

4

Mental Health Support Services

• Strong history - 30+ years of community based support

• Currently has 2 Commonwealth Funded programs

• Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) and Day to Day Living (D2DL)

5

Mental Health Sector

• Time of unprecedented change

• Opportunity for creativity and innovation

6

Value of volunteers

• Skills, knowledge and expertise

• Relationships with consumers

• Energy and enthusiasm

7

Practicalities

• Organisation-wide Volunteer Co-ordinator

• Supervision and Support

• Access to training

8

photo

9

2015 Premier’s Volunteer Champion

Awards

Most Outstanding Volunteer Team

10

Consumer Leadership• Sharing of skills and knowledge

• Mutual support

• Increased confidence

• Enhanced ownership of the program

11

12

Future

• Continued development and support

• Embracing the differing levels of involvement/leadership

• Certificate IV in Peer Work

13

Looking beyond traditional support

• Complement and strengthen workforce

• Richness and depth added to service delivery

• Flexible and responsive to change

14

Video

15

Questions???

16

Kathryn Buxton

Kathryn.Buxton@merrihealth.org.au

Ph: (03) 9355 9900

17