Homelessness and mental health go hand-in-hand

The number of young people accessing Anglicare WA’s youth homelessness services also experiencing a mental health challenge has doubled over the last decade, with less than half receiving support from mental health services.

For many years Anglicare WA has delivered services to support children, young people and adults bereaved by suicide, assisting them to navigate both their grief and to find the appropriate resources and services.

In partnership with the Mental Health Commission, Anglicare WA has established a range of service responses to support young people’s mental health. This includes co-funding a full-time therapeutic specialist embedded in Anglicare WA’s youth homelessness services to support complex challenges faced by youth.

Anglicare also delivers a youth psychosocial support program, an initiative funded by the Commission to provide individualised, recovery-focused supports to young people across Perth.

“This service allows young people to be referred through community services, rather than hospital-based referrals,” Anglicare WA general manager statewide services John Thomson said.

On behalf of Youturn, a not-for-profit organisation supporting young and vulnerable people in times of need, Anglicare WA delivers StandBy Support After Suicide in every region of WA providing proactive support to individuals, families and communities who are bereaved by suicide.

“In 2023, we entered into a formal agreement with WA Police to receive notification of every suspected suicide death within 24 hours of notification,” Mr Thomson said.

“This agreement is a first for Australia and includes provision of specialised training at the Police Academy to enhance new recruits’ knowledge of supports available to people bereaved by suspected suicide.”

Anglicare WA is working with the Mental Health Commission, WA Police, Department of Education and key community stakeholders to implement region-specific protocols to respond to suspected suicide deaths, with several successful networks already in place.

“Our StandBy team is accessible 7 days a week, providing free face-to-face and/or telephone support to anyone bereaved or impacted by suicide, at any stage in their life, including family, friends, colleagues, witnesses and first responders.” 

Contact StandBy on 1300 727 247.