Services

The decision to combine perinatal infant mental health, homeless youth, mental health, international health and disability through our new Community Services area demonstrates our commitment to the communities we serve.

The Community Services structure allows us to leverage our scale and expand services to people in need in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Timor-Leste.

A total of $66 million, provided by St John of God Health Care and other sources, is now allocated to Community Services each year. This is expected to increase to more than $69 million in the next financial year.

Our St John of God Accord disability services, and Casa Venegas and Horizon House services have provided more than 77,000 bed nights’ accommodation. Our perinatal infant mental health (Raphael Services) and three community mental health services have provided nearly 33,000 counselling and support services. Our international health initiative in Timor‑Leste has trained more than 600 nurses at the National Hospital in Dili and delivered more than 150,000 pathology tests.

St John of God Accord disability services in Victoria have expanded due to an increase in referrals stemming from the implementation of the new National Disability Insurance Scheme. Additionally, Marillac Ltd, which transferred to St John of God Health Care from the Daughters of Charity in May 2017, will provide care for more than 130 people in accommodation care and more than 820 clients associated with individual, day and specialised care and respite services. Marillac Ltd, operated by St John of God Accord, will expand our service offering employment services for people with a disability.

Social Outreach has continued its vital work supporting the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged communities in Australia and Timor-Leste, providing its services for free or at minimal cost.

In the three areas of early intervention, prevention and capacity building, Social Outreach’s influence grew in all areas. This included nearly 2,000 new parents being provided with counselling sessions and more than 120 families attending therapeutic sessions around Australia.

In addition, more than 160 young vulnerable people in the critical age group from 16 to 22, were assisted with long term accommodation, and Horizon House continued to provide individualised support to enable young people to access tertiary education or employment.

In community mental health, our capacity to meet the increasing demand for services continued to grow through specific initiatives, programs and training. For instance, mental health and wellbeing support was provided to more than 1,600 clients.

The International Health Program in Timor-Leste developed the capacity of the local workforce through a successful introduction of a Health Managers Program, executive development and Mission formation for St John of God Health Care caregivers and Timorese hospital staff.

The St John of God Hauora Trust in New Zealand continued to fulfil its wide-ranging mandate to provide long-term residential support for people aged 18-65 with physical and neurological disabilities, support accommodation, youth and social services and early childhood centre rehabilitation and therapy.

While continuing to deliver services to many areas of need, Hauora Trust’s Community, Youth and Child Services received Ministry of Social Development accreditation for up to three years and a three-year contract with the Ministry of Vulnerable Children for intensive social work support and community development.