There are a number of goal setting instruments available but most, if not all, sacrifice simplicity so as to be structured and comprehensive. Structure and complexity may be useful and appropriate for many people, but can overwhelming and too complicated for clients to complete. Aftercare has adapted for use in mental health a simple, evidence based, goal setting instrument that has been successfully used in the management of chronic physical health conditions. The original instrument was developed by the University of Sydney and the philosophy that underlies it is that the person who is to achieve the goals is the best person to decide which goals to strive for. This tool was fully implemented in Aftercare in June 2014 and with the support of a grant from the Western Australian Association for Mental Health qualitative evaluation has been performed as well as preliminary quantitative evaluation. The qualitative evaluation has shown the wide variety of goals set when the person is allowed to choose their own goals, most are not directly mental health related. The results demonstrate good acceptance by both participants and workers but also that there is no one instrument that will work for everyone.

In an attempt to support the large number of homeless people presenting at the Emergency Department, specialist staff positions were created.
Objective: This paper looks at the profiles of people seen by the Homeless Emergency Department Liaison Officer at the Gold Coast University Hospital and compares them to general hospital presentations.

Methods: The database was examined to gather data on all individuals who presented to the Gold Coast University Hospital Emergency Department over an 18 month period.

Results: The results revealed that the majority of people seen were male, in the early middle age group and more than half arrived at the ED by way of ambulance services. The most common reasons for presentation were medical, mental health and drug and alcohol.

Discussion: The results of this study raise some important issues which need to be addressed. Primarily, a large number of people seen by the Homeless Emergency Department Liaison Officer are often discharged back into homelessness due to lack of crisis accommodation. Once people have been identified as homeless, they need to be linked with accommodation and support services in the community to further meet their needs which will assist them in not becoming frequent presenters of the ED.

This presentation describes the process of establishing a designated consumer position within a state mental health data and reporting unit. Expanding the consumer workforce is vital for mental health service reform. This requires more people in current roles, but it also requires a wider range of roles. InforMH is the unit of the NSW Ministry of Health responsible for data collection, analysis and reporting. Our clinical benchmarking program supports clinical services through data reporting, site visits and educational forums. Consumer expertise and engagement has been an important part of this program. In 2014 we created a designated consumer position within our Clinical Measurement and Benchmarking Team. We aim to deepen consumer input into the benchmarking program and the unit’s broader work. The position will also support the mental health peer workforce to become more involved in using data to inform practice, and play a key role in implementing the new national consumer experience of care measure. The presentation will discuss the experience of the first 6 months of this new position.

When someone with a mental illness has been homeless for a period of time, they have often lost everything. When they find accommodation they may not have even the basic items.

The PHaMs program supports their participants who have been homeless with Start-Up packs and food items once they obtain transitional or permanent accommodation. The program utilises community grants and donations to support these people, purchasing basic household items including saucepans, cooking utensils, dinner sets, cutlery, mop & bucket even a toilet brush and sink plugs. The project has even purchased beds when people do not have anything for their children to sleep on.

The PHaMs program is a member of Food Bank NSW & ACT and purchases food at a greatly reduced cost. This food is packed up into hampers and when the person/family move into a property they are given a food hamper as part of the start up pack. This start up pack supports people to meet all other costs relating to establishing accommodation.

During the Christmas period, when many charities are closed, we support the wider community by providing food bank assistance to Housing NSW and community housing organisations for their homeless families.

The links between our diet and our physical health are well established. But what role does diet play when it comes to our mental health?
Is it diet that affects our mental health or is it our mental health that affects our diet?
The aim of the nutrition program through PHaMs at MDS is not only to provide nutritional information and practical ideas how to eat healthy food on a budget but to also decrease the person's social isolation. The program assists people to manage their mental wellness through food, to provide support and gain confidence in making more appropriate and effective food choices.
Many people with a mental illness are socially isolated, they eat alone, and attending the nutrition/cooking program is the only opportunity to sit down and eat a meal with other people.
Participants are supported to manage their health concerns such as obesity, insulin resistance and Type 11 diabetes with healthy eating choices and are supported to make informed decisions when shopping, by learning how to read food labels and compare foods.

After completing a Science Degree, I got a great job working in the oil and gas fields up north. I started smoking weed on a daily basis. After one year I returned to Uni to improve my career with an oil company. The stress of the Honours Degree, the continued use of dope, and perhaps a genetic factor, tipped the balance and so I began my first psychotic episode. After many hospitalizions I began to stabilize with the help of clozapine, a great psychiatrist who provides encouragement in all aspects of life as well as overseeing medications, and my incredibly wonderful and supporting wife as well as the stabilizing routines of family life. It was then that I began work as a Peer Specialist in an Acute Environment. That was 8 years ago. In this time I have had no admissions. However, drinking too much coffee and a little bit too much alcohol and not resting enough has prevented me from achieving the health I perhaps could. 3 x 5 hour shifts per week involving 4 group sessions per day keeps me busy with many wonderful experiences. I feel now in a position to fine tune my mental health.