Enablen helps ‘selectability Rockhampton’ secure share from $100m Resources Community Infrastructure Fund
About the Fund
The Resources Community Infrastructure Fund is a voluntary partnership between the Queensland Government and the resources industry, mainly comprising of coal and mineral companies through the Queensland Resources Council. The Queensland Government and Queensland Resources Council had assembled the Advisory Committee to ensure the needs of resources communities across the state will be properly considered.
The fund seeks to support infrastructure that is in addition to existing planned State and resource company funded community infrastructure.
The resources industry will be contributing $70 million, while the State is contributing $30 million to the fund. As part of the greater goal to garner enhanced wellbeing through services that meet community needs, the fund will help develop economic and social infrastructure to access these services, which, in the case of selectability, is the Rockhampton Mental Wellbeing Safe Haven.
What just happened?
selectability Rockhampton secured over $3.1 million to set up the ‘Rockhampton Mental Wellbeing Safe Haven’ in a bid to provide the community a range of mental health services. The amount is part of the roughly $100 million grant under the ‘Resources Community Infrastructure Fund’ initiative. The $100 million grant is being awarded in two rounds of $50 million each.
What we did?
Enablen provides technological and creative solutions to its clients, and specialises in reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiencies for the benefit of organisations and the community at large. We were again the number one choice by selectability to fulfil its grant application requirements to help realise its mission of mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. Enablen considers selectability’s mission as a noble cause, being a part of which has been an honour. We remain committed to being a one-stop solution to support organisations like selectability that seek to build better and more robust communities.
What is selectability all about?
selectability is North Queensland’s largest and leading National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider of mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention services. With 400 staff members serving over 1,500 consumers, selectability boasts an impressive 30-year footprint. The non-profit aims to become provider of choice for mental wellbeing services and a recognised champion in suicide prevention by 2025. This vision lies at the heart of what selectability has continues to offer to its community.
selectability delivers vital community programs around its area of expertise, including support for carers, training, clinical and general psychology services. It further ensures accessible services that are flexible, responsive, and inclusive to all groups, including ATSI, CALD, LGBTQI+, and those living with a physical disability.
Services under the Project
selectability intends to have a number of services enabled for a minimum period of 10 years.
- Group activities include Community mental health hub; Clubhouse; and Bikeshed.
- Programs under its suicide prevention services would include Community Action Plan network; Real Mates Talk; WellMan; and The Way Back Support Service.
- Carer support services are also under the plan, along with vocational trainings through selectability’s community services hub.
Further programs will be added over time as more funding options become available.
selectability has previously completed similar infrastructure projects to the one proposed. At least one infrastructure project is currently in progress, which refers to the Burdekin Mental Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Safe Haven. This involves the restructuring of Caledonian Hall in Ayr, a heritage site, to a Safe Haven project like the one underway for Rockhampton.
Rockhampton Mental Wellbeing Safe Haven
After securing the required funding, selectability is on track to get all the formalities out of the way to begin construction on the project. The Rockhampton Mental Wellbeing Safe Haven falls perfectly in line with the organisation’s mission to provide the much in-demand mental wellbeing services to its community.
The project is estimated to cost $3.78 million of which, $3.1 million has been secured through the fund, and the rest of the $0.68 million will be contributed by the organisation by way of a letter of organisational commitment.
The establishment of this purpose-built facility will provide a fully compliant and state of the art structure that can cater to the community needs. These needs were thoroughly identified through primary and secondary research data where 88% respondents considered the range of existing mental health supports in Rockhampton being inadequate. Through a total of 198 responses, 98% responded positively in favour of a strong need for this project to be established in the Rockhampton region. The survey also revealed a strong willingness of around 96% affirmation by the respondents as members of the community to attend the purpose-built facility for mental wellbeing and suicide prevention supports once established.
This can be correlated by the fact that the average suicide rate in Rockhampton stood at 18.8 per 100,000 in 2016, increasing from 15.1 in 2009-13. The data also highlighted the youth being most impacted in these numbers. Hence, selectability recognised the need to establish the Rockhampton Mental Wellbeing Safe Haven within proximity of the target population.
Through this promising project, selectability also aims to offer Certificate III and IV programs in Mental Health and Community Services to provide stimulus for a trained workforce, employment and increased availability of services and supports for the community. The purpose-built construction will be inclusive of fully disabled design, sound proofing, training spaces, activity spaces and outdoor activity spaces for programs such as the Bike Shed.
Impact of the Project
Mental health issues arising from troubled life experiences can lead to a number of problems in our behaviour, actions and decisions. Most notably, deprivations or traumas can spur criminal tendencies on one end of the spectrum, and on the other, can generate violent behaviour, or suicidal tendencies stemming from depression and anxiety. selectability believes the project will positively impact key areas of crime and suicide through its services targeting those most vulnerable.
With the project active in close community proximity, the likelihood of achieving strong positive community-based outcomes becomes possible. selectability’s innovative programs are designed to address issues such as youth disengagement, crime and male suicide. Some of these include its Bike Shed program and Real Mates Talk which are designed to engage participants and reduce disengagement and suicide, amongst other goals.
Furthermore, through ‘selectability Training’, vocational trainings will be provided to meet demand for trained support workers and create jobs. selectability has engaged in an extensive stakeholder consultation process to identify community needs for its holistic mental wellbeing and suicide prevention services.
