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Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

DaisydreamerSenior Contributor31 Mar 2022, 11:03 am AEDT

Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Hi SANE Community,

Earlier today, we announced some changes to SANE’s Services which will allow us to offer a new program on top of our existing self-guided services. 😊

We know that change can bring up some questions, and we want to ensure that we have a space to answer them!

So, please ask any questions that might be on your mind (whether they are big or small), and we will do our best to answer them.

There might be some questions I need to ask other SANE team members to make sure we get you the right information - if this is the case, I will let you know and get back to you as soon as I have an answer.

Quick snapshot of the changes

As you know, SANE offers a range of free digital and telehealth services for people living with complex mental health issues and their families, friends and carers, including our counselling, peer support, social groups, forums, and information and resources.

Last year, SANE received new funding from the Federal Government and have expanded its services to offer existing self-guided services as well as a new guided program for people with complex mental health needs and their carers, depending on where they are at in their journey and recovery.

In short, this new program will be a tailored approach to our services by bringing together a range of SANE’s supports for people who need a little more at different times. At the moment, we are piloting this program in a number of locations across Australia and will be expanding access to more areas over time.

You can read all about the changes and increased supports available in this new service model here. We would encourage you to have a read of this discussion, because it also covers some of the service changes that will be starting this week in preparation!

Community forums will operate as usual, and will be moderated 24/7 by health professionals throughout the roll out of these service changes.

A quick note for those who might be joining the community forums for the first time, we have some Community Guidelines that can help you post. They focus on values of safety, respect, and anonymity.

20 replies

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In response to: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Emelia8Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 2:51 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Agree wholeheartedly with you both @Zoe7 @Teej about the newly minted description about who SANE is here for. It seems to exclude a lot of needy people. 😔

And yes, I too am struggling with this big bold black and white unfriendly distorted looking design @Daisydreamer Maybe it will grow on me over time, but for now it feels all wrong. 😱

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Zoe7Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 3:07 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

@Emelia8 😢 Agree...

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Zoe7Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 3:36 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

@Teej @Emelia8 You might like to read this - SANE Strategic Plan 2022 - just published and explains where SANE is heading 😔

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Emelia8Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 4:24 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Thanks for directing me to the Strategic Plan @Zoe7 😊🐶

I will need time to go through it all. Though I had a bit of a quick browse, and can see where you got the new definition of who SANE is now here for - in the Vision bit.

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Zoe7Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 4:33 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

It is also the first thing you see on the website in the 'About Us' section @Emelia8 - not at all inviting for all. I had a read of most of the plan and can see very clearly that the vision forward is not inclusive of all so am seriously considering (again) if this is the place for me. In my opinion, separating us all out into labels is actually stigmatising for all and goes completely against what SANE is supposed to be about. Growth is sometimes good but exclusion is not ...sorry to have 'simple' mental health issues because we are not included ...is this a way to push us out into other services? SANE has been such a big part of my recovery journey but I am afraid of this direction for people like me - I would not have joined initially if this was the description I read then and wonder how alienating this may now be for many.

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

tymeModerator08 June 2022, 4:40 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Thank you for sharing your ideas and thoughts @Zoe7 @Emelia8 @Teej .

We have are aware of and have received your feedback.

Stay tuned,

tyme

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Emelia8Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 4:52 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

All I can say @Zoe7 is 'yep' I agree. And I too find it sad and alienating, and ask myself if its still the place I thought it was. And ponder that same question about whether its still for me, and even go so far as to wonder if I am welcome here any more. Am I to be gently levered out, as a "no longer qualified" member?

Feeling sad and lost about it all.

Thanks @tyme

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Zoe7Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 5:00 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Yes, yes and yes @Emelia8 the same for all that you have said ...but also to let you know that whatever this turns out to be, whatever changes come and for 'whoever' it is meant to be for - you my dear are a part of the SANE community and WILL ALWAYS be welcome here by your friends. No changes in policy, procedures, membership direction or 'vision' for the future can take away the friends you have made nor the RIGHT you have to be here. This is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed but does not take away from the journeys we have been on here together. I am grateful for what SANE has previously provided in my own journey but do now very much worry about who will be alienated from receiving the same amazing support I have received. Watch this space I suppose and see what actually comes of it - then see where we stand.

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

MilliemeSenior Contributor08 June 2022, 5:01 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

I actually really like the breadth of the wording for who Sane is for. There are not many spaces where people with a complex array of challenges are welcomed and supported but there are so many options for mild/moderate mental health challenges or more focussed issues like anxiety/depression. Even the online mental health options like mindspot etc do not cater for complex needs.

I don't mind the extended welcome that explicitly states autism and intellectual disability - if we are scared of the labels or react to the labels, whose stigma is that? To have a space that directly states that we will be welcome and actively accepted is inclusive sounding to me.

There are probably no 'words' which will please all and the functionality of the forums is decided/acted on by the user themselves to a large degree.

I have worried about the restricted services to certain funded areas and the impact on the availability to anyone who needs the services but that is a seperate issue and definitely tied to funding opportunities from what i gather.

In response to: Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Zoe7Senior Contributor08 June 2022, 5:10 pm AEST

Re: Q&A: Ask your questions about SANE's growing Service Model

Hi @Millieme It is not a matter of being 'scared of labels', quite the opposite in fact - it is 'why do we need to attribute labels'. A fully inclusive organisation would not be 'seeing' labels. It is enough that we have to navigate these in the real world - and having just a few of them named up here is alienating to those that aren't. I really like @Teej 's description - "SANE supports the full diversity of mental health experiences" - this is inclusive for everyone whether it be as a lived experience perspective or those living with others who have mental health issues.

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