A–Z Service Directory

The Maroondah Community Care Unit (MCCU) provides residential assessment and rehabilitation services to adults with a major mental illness and associated decline in psychosocial function. The Maroondah Community Care Unit provides services to adults with a major mental illness living in the municipalities of Whitehorse, Manningham and Monash.  Consumers accepted into the Maroondah Community Care Unit undertake a two week comprehensive psychosocial rehabilitation assessment, which includes evaluation of their physical and mental wellbeing, occupational and cognitive functioning.

Assessment can be for:

• Assessment and recommendations for ongoing community management or,
• Assess suitability for entry into the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program.

The Maroondah Community Care Unit is a residential setting with staff working 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Consumers have multiple daily contacts with members of the multidisciplinary team and have regular contact with medical staff. The psychosocial rehabilitation program is tailored to suit each consumer individually and their length of stay may vary from 6 months to 18 months depending upon the consumer’s progress towards their identified goals.

All consumers accepted into the Maroondah Community Care Unit Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program must have first completed the 2 week Assessment Program.

This service is for consumers aged 16 to 64 living within the local government areas of Maroondah, Knox, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse East and Nunawading East who have a major mental illness and associated decline in psychosocial functioning.

For new referrals contact is to be made via current case manager or PDRSS support worker.

Eligibility Criteria

The target group of consumers include those who:

• Aged between 16 and 64 years
• Reside within the designated catchment areas (MCCU) services the local government areas of Maroondah, Knox, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse East and Nunawading East
• Consumers being treated in Secure Extended Care Units along with Forensic consumers will be considered for the MCCU if they have a significant accommodation history within the MCCU’s catchment, or have carers living in the catchment who are involved in their lives
• Have an enduring decline in psychosocial function associated with a serious mental illness
• Are especially prone to relapse and vulnerability in relation to a decline in psychosocial function
• Have a wide range of complex psychosocial rehabilitation requirements
• Have a willingness to participate in rehabilitation program activities
• Commonly have poor adherence with treatment regimes and difficult to engage
• Less intensive services have proven to be unsuccessful in managing and treating this consumer group
• Are typically severely challenged in motivation and ability to function independently, and have poor understanding of their mental illness
• Require a level of supervision and specialist mental health support only available in an environment that provides 24-hour treatment.

All consumers referred must have a community residence to return to following the assessment period (except for referrals of consumers from SECU and Forensic services).

Referral

Referrals for assessment are directed to the assessment team, and are accepted from:

• All parts of the Eastern Health Adult Mental Health Service, and
• The PDRSS sector and other community based services

Once the referral is accepted a pre-entry interview with the consumer and tour of the site is conducted. Generally this occurs four to six weeks prior to potential admission. At pre-entry interview, the consumer will be interviewed by two clinicians from the Maroondah Community Care Unit. Referrer, family and carers will be invited to participate in the interview, where appropriate.

One or both clinicians, who undertook the pre-entry interview, will present the findings of the interview to the Maroondah Community Care Unit multidisciplinary team at the next Assessment Team Meeting. At this meeting it is decided whether the referral meets criteria for an assessment admission.

As a general rule referral to the rehabilitation program will not be accepted without the consumer first having a two week residential assessment.

For new referrals contact is to be made via current case manager or PDRSS support worker.