Department of Health

Accommodation, respite and community support

Key messages

  • Supported accommodation services provide long-term residential psychosocial rehabilitation for adults with an enduring psychiatric disability.
  • Contact your local intake assessment provider for information about local services available in your area.

Accommodation, respite and self-help services are available to provide families and carers with support and other resources.

Supported accommodation

Supported accommodation services provide long-term psychosocial rehabilitation support in a residential setting to people 16–64 years of age with an enduring psychiatric disability.

To access the services contact planned respite, mutual support and self-help, and carer support service providers.

Planned respite

Planned respite services provide a short-term change in environment for a person with a mental illness and a break for carers, and include both formal and informal psychosocial rehabilitation components.

Planned respite services may involve social and recreational day activities, including in-home support, holiday and adventure activities, and residential components.

Mutual support and self-help

Mutual support and self-help services provide information and peer support to people with a mental illness and/or their carers.

This can involve the sharing of experiences and coping strategies, the provision of information and referral services, and the promotion of community awareness.

Carer support

Carer support assists carers, families and friends of people with a mental illness through the provision of information, financial assistance and general support.

Carer support can occur in the carer’s home, Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS), or in the community. Carer support workers are located in Commonwealth carer respite centres across Victoria.

Carer respite centres provide information about the range of services and support available for carers of people with a mental illness and links to relevant public mental health services, as well as relevant information and resources.

Carer support workers can assist in arranging respite and provide links to mutual support and self-help groups.

Getting support

Contact your local intake assessment provider for information about local services available in your area.

Reviewed 29 May 2015

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