HomeGround Supportive Housing - HomeGround Services

Case study:Amanda, 32 years oldCase study:Jack, 54 years oldDiagnosed with psychosis, evicted fornot paying her rent, and with a historyof sleeping rough, Amanda was referredto HomeGround’s Housing MentalHealth Pathways Program by the socialworkers at St Vincent’s Hospital’s acutepsychiatric ward.Not linked into any services and with ahistory of alcohol and cannabis use thehospital ordered a forensic assessmentto identify if Amanda was safe to live inthe community. Due to her vulnerability,HomeGround was able to ensureAmanda stayed in hospital until the bestpost-hospital housing and support wasidentified and available.In May 2007, Amanda was discharged totransitional housing, receiving ongoingassistance from HomeGround to assistin understanding and managing herpsychosis, gaining independent livingskills training, re-establishing connectionswith family members, and developingeducational and vocational goals.Since her discharge from hospitalAmanda has maintained her tenancy,enrolled in a TAFE course and startedworking part-time enabling her to savemoney to visit family interstate.Having developed trust in herHomeGround Support Worker, Amandacommunicates when she is unwell oranxious and uses strategies they havedeveloped together to prevent a returnto the inpatient unit.HomeGround’s Housing Mental HealthPathways Program will continue tosupport Amanda as she waits for anoffer of public housing. At that time,HomeGround will again be there for herto assist in her relocation and settlementin a new community.Having been made redundant, Jack notonly lost his job but also his home that waslocated on site. With a history of alcoholabuse and no family, Jack relocated fromWA to Melbourne where he was living ata private boarding house in St Kilda.When HomeGround Services met Jack hewas paying $160 a week for shared kitchenand bathroom facilities at the boardinghouse where on pension day he wasfrequently robbed by other residents dueto his frailty, age and alcoholism.The Royal District Nursing Service fromInner South Community Health Serviceintroduced Jack to HomeGround’sHomeless Outreach Worker and within afew days a public housing application hadbeen completed. Three weeks later Jackwas offered a public housing bed-sit.The next step is getting Jack a kitten, as hesaid that if he can pat an animal once aday, he is happy.10 11