selectability Cairns: positioned to meet community needs

selectability Cairns – positioned to respond to community need

Operating on the belief that everyone the has right to high quality mental health services and support regardless of circumstances, diagnosis or location prompted selectability Cairns to move into its Bruce Highway premises.

In a prominent location, the fit-for-purpose Mental Health Hub provides a central point for people across the regions to access a range of community and clinical supports … with room for future growth.

As General Manager Cairns and Clinical Services Ingrid Westthorp explains, her team has experienced rapid growth which has allowed them to provide more support to those who are seeking it in times of crisis.

 “Our team had 47 employees in June but since relocating an increase in services has seen this number jump to 100,” said Ingrid.

The importance of selectability’s new prominent location becomes evident as Ingrid, shares a recent experience helping an individual access mental health services.

“We had an adolescent walk in off the street…we got talking and he shared that in fact he had been waiting around the corner for an hour deciding on whether to come in or not,” explains Ingrid.

“Here at selectability we have an open door policy, and we welcomed the young man in for a cup of tea and a chat.

“He expressed to us that he had been struggling with suicidal ideation and symptoms of anxiety and depression and felt that he needed someone to talk too.”

Thanks to the support from Ingrid and her team, the young man was linked to the support and information he needed.

“We connected him to immediate counselling services and also to the broader health care that he needed via the hospital.”

selectability Cairns Mental Health Hub has a range of clinical services including onsite counselling and therapeutic support.

“Stigma is a real issue when accessing mental health services, there can be concern about reaching out for help. Some people have had bad experiences before, while others just don’t know what to do and have come to the point of reaching out for the first time.”

“At selectability we want to make sure that people know they are not alone.

“We are here to help, to do our very best, listen to and connect people to care. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start, selectability can help people get started on the journey.”

Fond out more about selectability Cairns HERE