Eastern Health has two Community Care Units (CCU) located in Canterbury and Ringwood.  The CCU provides a rehabilitation program in a community mental health residential setting for adults with a lived experience of mental illness. Consumers have multiple daily contacts with members of the nursing and allied health team who work 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, as well as regular contact and reviews with medical staff. 

The CCU features a highly structured and supportive physical environment (which includes access to an on-site GP and a Neuropsychologist and a Clinical Psychologist) with staff who will work with consumers and their families/carers to promote self-determination and empowerment, enabling progress towards reaching personal recovery goals, all under the Collaborative Recovery Model.  

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 their progress towards their identified goals. 

This service supports consumers who: 

  • Are aged 16 years and over.  
  • Reside within the eastern region of Melbourne 
  • Have an enduring decline in psychosocial function associated with a serious mental illness. 
  • Have a wide range of complex psychosocial rehabilitation requirements. 
  • Have a willingness to participate in rehabilitation program activities. 
  • Commonly have poor adherence with treatment regimens and are difficult to engage. 
  • Less intensive services have proven to be unsuccessful in managing and treating the person  
  • Are typically severely challenged in motivation and ability to function independently, and have poor understanding of their mental illness. 
  • Are especially prone to relapse and vulnerability in relation to a decline in psychosocial function. 
  • Require a level of supervision and specialist mental health support only available in an environment that provides 24-hour treatment. 

Consumers being treated in Secure Extended Care Units along with Forensic consumers will be considered for the Maroondah CCU if they have a significant accommodation history within the Maroondah CCU’s catchment or have carers living in the catchment who are involved in their lives. 

Referrals are accepted from all parts of the Eastern Health Mental Health & Wellbeing Program and other community based services. 

  • Canterbury Road CCU (for people living in local government areas of Whitehorse, Manningham and Monash)  
  • Maroondah CCU (for people living in local government areas of Maroondah, Knox, Yarra Ranges and Whitehorse) 

A walk through of CCU is recommended before any referral is accepted, ensuring consumer informed consent.  

Any subsequent referral will be discussed at the next clinical review with the multi-disciplinary team.  

If the referral is accepted and a placement is projected, a pre-intake assessment with the consumer will be booked in. Generally, this occurs one to two weeks prior to admission. At the pre-intake assessment, the consumer will be interviewed by two clinicians from the Community Care Unit. The referrer, family and carers will be invited to participate in the interview, where appropriate. 

One or both of the clinicians, who undertook the pre-intake assessment, will present the findings to the multidisciplinary team at the next clinical review. At this meeting it is decided whether the referral meets criteria for a CCU admission or not.   

If the referral is accepted and there are no projected placements, the person will be placed on a waiting list, pending future residency.  

Maroondah Community Care Unit, 4 Bona Street Ringwood East Vic 3135.   For current consumers call on (03) 9871 3921. 

Canterbury Road Community Care Unit, 30-32 Canterbury Road, Camberwell, 3124.  For current consumers call on (03) 9813 1722. 

Visiting hours are 4:00pm – 10:00pm on week days,

and 10:00am – 10:00pm on the weekends.

We ask that all visitors notify staff on arrival and departure, as well as sign in and out on the registry book at reception