A $3.5 million mental health and well-being facility opened in the Shoalhaven on Tuesday to address the high level of mental health needs in the region, particularly among vulnerable and younger people.
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The innovative MIND the GaP (Mental Illness in Nowra District: Goals and Prevention) facility is a joint initiative of the Australian Government, Shoalhaven City Council and the University of Wollongong.
Located on UOW’s Shoalhaven Campus at West Nowra, MIND the GaP will provide patient-centred, holistic and preventative services in partnership with healthcare professionals, researchers and frontline support services.
It includes research, consultation and assessment rooms, meeting spaces, a 60-seat conference and training room, outdoor courtyard and children’s play area.
Lifeline South Coast, Lifeline Australia Research Foundation, COORDINARE, the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health District, Noah’s Shoalhaven and the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute will also harness their expertise to address the high rate of mental health needs in the Shoalhaven community, particularly among younger people.
The focus will be on improving the prevention, early recognition and treatment of mental health issues, including suicide prevention and managing traumatic stress responses.
The rate of mental health conditions is higher in the Shoalhaven than NSW and national levels.
UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings said community engagement was the cornerstone of MIND the GaP.
“The MIND the GaP initiative is an exciting opportunity to empower the community and work across disciplines to address mental health challenges,” Prof Wellings said.
UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Health and Communities) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health Professor Alison Jones said the initiative was a key part of UOW’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
“The Shoalhaven and wider communities present microcosms of the challenges people in regional and rural areas face,” Prof Jones said.
“MIND the GaP will improve mental wellbeing services and community resilience in the Shoalhaven, while also delivering innovative regional strategies in mental health and wellbeing that will inform best practice in other parts of rural and regional Australia and internationally.”