The Eastern Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Service (EHOPS) team aims to support people, in collaborative partnership with them, their family and homelessness services, to create and maintain access to mainstream healthcare and local homelessness services, while ensuring their mental health needs are met. This is achieved through use of a pro-active assertive outreach, strength– based and harm minimisation model of care.
EHOPS is a multi-disciplinary team led by a Consultant Psychiatrist in partnership with the Team Leader. The team (clinical and lived experience staff) work within a recovery orientated framework in partnership with people, their identified support people (carers) and other service providers.
- People who have history of a lived experience of a severe and persistent mental illness and are itinerant, in short term or transient accommodation living within the catchment area of Eastern Health.
- People who have high levels of co-morbid alcohol and illicit substance use
- People who may have forensic background or ongoing contact with criminal justice system.
- People who are often perceived as having ‘difficult’ behaviour that may place themselves or others at risk.
- People who may be perceived as “difficult” to engage due to their behaviour or due to impaired judgement and/or insight into their mental health.
- People who are often in financial difficulties
- Referrals are generally received from mental health and wellbeing teams internal to Eastern Health.
- Referrals from other Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services are received directly to EHOPS via the duty worker on 0435 208 174..
All other referrals are via Eastern Health Triage on 1300 721 927