Hatzolah and MJCF to conduct feasibility study
According to a joint statement from Hatzolah Melbourne and MJCF, the scope of work falls into two areas split by "urgent" and "non-urgent" mental health cases.
Hatzolah and the Melbourne Jewish Charity Fund (MJCF), guided by two Jewish psychiatrists, Associate Professor Paul Katz and Dr Sam F. Roberts, are conducting a feasibility study to address the mental health crisis in the community.
According to a joint statement from Hatzolah Melbourne and MJCF, the scope of work falls into two areas split by “urgent” and “non-urgent” mental health cases.
A project manager has been appointed and is currently interviewing 12 case study organisations around the world, including in Sydney, London, US, Canada, South Africa and Israel, all of which have developed mental health care programs in some capacity.
They will also be interviewing 50 different community stakeholders, from medical professionals through to communal organisations and people with lived experience.
The demand for mental health services has increased exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The former chair of Mental Health Australia Matt Berriman stated, “The system is in disarray, for the people that need the care, especially in the acute and moderate space of mental illness, it is non-existent for most people.
“Anyone that knows what it’s like day to day, exposed to the mental health system, it’s a very sad state of affairs. It means many people dying. It means many people suffering needlessly every day.”
Josh Wonder, general manager of Hatzolah Melbourne, said, “There has been an alarming spike in calls to Hatzolah for mental health cases.
“Many patients have either been discharged from a mental health facility or have no way of accessing one. While Hatzolah and Ambulance Victoria can be there for the acute, life-threatening issues, we have nowhere to refer patients to for chronic care.”
Yoni Paluch, CEO of the Melbourne Jewish Charity Fund said he is seeing more clients approach the fund for financial assistance as a result of poor mental health.
“We are seeing clients who through no fault of their own are falling through the cracks in the system and are unable to support themselves. They are not able to access the help they so desperately need and are therefore falling into poverty which is compounding their mental health issues.”
While numerous organisations within the Jewish community see the impacts of mental illness and are leaned upon for the limited support they can offer, there is currently no overarching “model of care” that they can refer clients to.
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