We started with conversations to create authentic solutions
The Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) was a promise made in the SA Mental Health Services Plan 2020-2025. The Office of the Chief Psychiatrist (OCP) invited the SA Lived Experience Leadership and Advocacy Network (LELAN) and TACSI to co-design conversations with lived experience representatives in March 2020.
Together, we co-created a Philosophy of Care: a foundational model to guide every element of the centre’s design and existence.
Starting with co-creation is in itself symbolic of sharing power
Co-creating the foundations WITH people from community rather than being asked to provide feedback on something that has already been created (and often behind closed doors) means that the Philosophy of Care is the product of vulnerable, honest and powerful conversations, where participants shared stories of past harms and desires for better support options. It would not be possible without these contributors and we remain grateful to them.
Creating the foundations for a Philosophy of Care
In early 2020, LELAN and TACSI designed a relational online experience to engage over 30 people from SA in authentic conversation. These contributors had lived experience of mental health distress, emergency department admissions, or being family and carers of those seeking help.
A Philosophy of Care is a theory or attitude that acts as guiding principles for values and behaviour. It’s intended to underpin every aspect of the Centre, and provide staff with a reference point when making decisions, keeping them accountable and invested.
The conversations provided an opportunity to co-design an approach to care that people truly want and need in times of crisis. The Philosophy is underpinned by a belief in flexible, community-based care that provides a safe and inclusive model of support.
TACSI later partnered with NEAMI, the service provider commissioned to deliver the service, to ensure the priority of cultural safety and wisdom. A yarning series was led by TACSI’s Aunty Vickey Charles with local Aboriginal people to understand what welcoming and inclusive care looks like for all people.
The conversations led to powerful insights
- People want a relational experience when experiencing crisis or distress
- People want services to be an extension of the community
- A Philosophy of Care means that services can provide what really matters to people
- Having foundational values guides services to stay accountable to this community-based approach
- People want compassionate and humane responses
Launching a new way forward in mental health
When the Minister for Health opened Adelaide’s new Urgent Mental Health Care Centre in March 2021, he pointed out two uncommon features: no security guards, and a 50% workforce of people with a lived-experience of mental distress. These are both essential recommendations that arose from the co-design process.
The UMHCC offers high-engagement support in a calm, welcoming, “lounge-room” space. This combination of peer-workforce members and clinical support provides evidence-based, caring, safe and inclusive mental health support.
The impact of the Philosophy of Care one year on
In February 2022, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Ljubic, the UMHCC service manager about how the Philosophy of Care is still guiding the service experience in real life. Rebecca said that the Philosophy of Care is the overarching ethos of the centre and underpins all of their decision making. “It reminds us of the outcomes we need to be striving for, guides our values-based recruitment of centre staff, and ultimately keeps us accountable,” she said.
