One Door Wide Open.
In my first 3 weeks as CEO of One Door, I’ve been impressed by the passion and resilience of our staff, consumers, carers and all their families in an environment of massive Government reforms.
Our previous CEO, Rob Ramjan, provided updates about this time of unprecedented change in our sector. Regrettably, the Commonwealth Government has not responded to calls for amendments to the NDIS rollout. Instead, it has maintained its position that Government will stop funding Day to Day Living, Personal Helpers and Mentors Program, Partners in Recovery and Mental Health Respite Carers Services across Australia, effective 30 June 2019. The remaining NDIS environment is in a state of constant change relating to the legislation, policy, practice, and pricing, which causes instability and uncertainty.
This is a deeply sad time that brings significant loss for One Door, our staff, consumers, carers, families, and communities. It means that many of our valued staff will no longer have the job that they were employed to do. For our consumers, they will be navigating a changed service system that is complicated and probably more difficult to access.
I want to assure you that One Door is still open!
We will be working with consumers and carers to provide the necessary support. If you are a consumer or carer who is impacted by the loss of the above programs, One Door staff will be working with you to ensure linkage to appropriate services beyond 30 June 2019 – whether that be with us or another service provider.
One Door is working as quickly and actively as we can to build our NDIS business, with associated staffing, so that we can still be here for our consumers from 1 July 2019. We will continue to deliver many other services that are funded by NSW Health, Primary Health Networks and other sources that are not impacted by the NDIS.
One Door is not alone in this. The mental health sector across Australia is facing the same challenges and we are all working together to raise our voices through individual, organisational and systemic advocacy.
Please join us in these efforts by contacting reception@onedoor.org.au or email me directly at ceo@onedoor.org.au
My hope is that by working together we can continue our mission to deliver innovative services and provide strong advocacy, within an inclusive community, for those living with a mental illness, their families and carers.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated with any other changes.
Kathi Boorman | CEO