The team sees people who live in the Chippendale and Redfern-Waterloo area, from Cleveland Street to Sydney Park. It is one of the busiest mental health teams in Sydney, seeing 65 new people every month and having over 500 people receiving treatment and care at any one time. As well, the local crisis team – based at Camperdown, but willing to see people locally or in their homes – sees more than 250 local residents every year.
The Redfern Community Mental Health Team will take referrals from anyone who thinks he or she, a friend or family member, has a mental illness. However, they recommend you see your local doctor (General Practitioner) first.
Assessments by team members focus not just on diagnosis, but also on clients’ current situation, their strengths, and their own goals. An individual treatment plan is made for all clients and clients are allocated a key worker who is best suited to their needs. The service is free and not time-limited for those who need it.
The team supports people with all types of mental illnesses. This includes conditions such as short-term stress reactions, depression and schizophrenia. Medications may be used, but there are a wide variety of non-medical treatments offered. As the team is made up of nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and doctors, the staff use their areas of expertise to assist their clients.
The team has close links with specialist teams at Camperdown, including the Adolescent Mental Health Team and the Outreach Team (for people with severe, chronic illness). Indigenous clients can have treatment with the team or through the Aboriginal Medical Service or Aboriginal Mental Health Team. The team also has partnerships with local rehabilitation services and works closely with local GPs.
Some of the staff have worked at Redfern for many years and are now seeing the children of their former clients. The staff love the area and have a fondness for the local residents. Although many of the clients have suffered a lot and have complicated problems, the staff regard it a privilege to be part of their recovery.
For many years the team was based at Rachel Forster Hospital. After a short stay in Pitt Street the team moved to the Court House three years ago. The building has been redesigned but the old courtroom, including the timber panelling, has been preserved and is now used as a meeting and group room.
