20,000 South Australians supported by Adelaide Urgent Mental Health Care Centre 

The Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC) in Adelaide has reached a significant milestone, having now supported over 20,000 visits from people experiencing a mental health crisis or distress, since opening in March 2021.

Delivered by Neami National and funded by the Australian Government and SA Health, the UMHCC is the first service of its kind in the country. The Adelaide service offers an alternative to hospital emergency departments for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Open 24/7, the UMHCC provides free, walk-in mental health support in a comfortable lounge room style setting.

Co-designed with people who have lived experience of mental health challenges, the service uses Recovery Innovations’ ‘fusion’ staffing model, comprising 50% clinical staff and 50% lived experience staff. This gives guests access to evidence-based clinical care and high-engagement peer support in the same place. Core to the service model is the peer-first, peer-last approach, which sees every guest supported by a peer support worker, who has their own experience of mental health challenges, from the moment they arrive, until they are ready to leave.

Recent co-evaluation research by Neami National and The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation supports the effectiveness of this approach:

• 44% of guests said they would not have sought support elsewhere
• 42% of guests would have otherwise presented at an emergency department
• 93% were satisfied with the UMHCC’s welcoming physical environment
• Guests reported feeling safe, seen, heard and supported, often for the first time

The service is open to anyone aged 16 and over, with no need for an appointment, referral, Medicare card or Australian citizenship or residency.

The UMHCC is located at 215 Grenfell St, Adelaide. For more information, visit the UMHCC website or call (08) 8448 9100.