Expression of Interest
ISPIR Capacity Building Funds
Information Sheet & Application
Information Sheet
Illawarra Shoalhaven Partners in Recovery (ISPIR) is a program which aims to better support
people with severe and persistent mental illness with complex needs, and their carers and families.
ISPIR is seeking expressions of interest from consumers and carers, other organisations and
services, individual service providers, or other interested community members for different
activities or projects that can occur up to 30 June 2016 (final reports to be submitted by 30 July
2016).
In order for a proposed activity to be supported it must align with the PIR objectives as outlined by
the Department of Health* and the priority strategic areas as agreed by the ISPIR Steering
Committee which include:
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Collaborative Governance
Engagement and Communication
Evaluation
Service Model (recovery oriented)
Sustainable System
For the 2015/16 financial year, the ISPIR Consortium has identified the below focus areas that it
wishes to support in order to affect better support of people with severe and persistent mental
illness with complex needs, and their carers and families. The focus areas were identified through
consideration of the areas most commonly identified by people through the needs assessment and
action planning process of ISPIR.
1. Overall Health and Wellbeing
People with a Mental Illness often experience other health and wellbeing complications. For
example their physical health and fitness, weight, substance misuse, chronic health conditions
including heart disease, chronic pain conditions or diabetes, and social emotional wellbeing. ISPIR
works with people in a holistic manner which often includes some of these other areas.
Within this focus area, ISPIR is looking for proposals that will support improvements to the overall
health and wellbeing of people with an enduring mental illness that does not focus directly on their
mental health.
2. Accommodation
Many individuals referred to IPSIR experience homelessness, difficulty accessing suitable and
sustainable accommodation and/or benefit from supports to assist them to maintain a tenancy in
their accommodation of choice.
Within this focus area ISPIR is looking for proposals that will build the services and supports
available to people to assist with accommodation access and/or sustainability, build staff skills to
address accommodation issues and focus on building system capacity to support people with
enduring mental health issues around their accommodation needs.
3. High incidence of psychological distress experienced by people accessing ISPIR support
Expression of Interest
ISPIR Capacity Building Funds
Information Sheet & Application
One of the biggest areas of need identified within ISPIR participants relates to high levels of
psychological distress (feelings of sadness and depression).
Within this focus area, ISPIR is looking for proposals that will consider how the current service
system could modify their practices to result in a better outcome for people who experience
psychological distress. This may include proposals that relate to suicide prevention activities.
4. Community and Social connectedness and activities
Many of the ISPIR participants report that they experience difficulty and would appreciate support
in their social life and daytime activities.
Within this focus area, ISPIR is seeking proposals that will enhance the capacity of people with a
severe and persistent mental illness to better engage with their local community in meaningful
social and daytime activities.
5. Building the skills/capacity of the service sector to work with people with enduring mental
health issues and complex needs
ISPIR recognises that people with enduring mental health issues access a broad range of services
in the Illawarra Shoalhaven- many of which are not specifically for people with mental health
issues. It is reported that participants within ISPIR often prefer to access non- mental health
supports to assist them in their recovery.
ISPIR is seeking projects that aim to build the capacity of services to support people with enduring
mental health issues to achieve their recovery goals. Projects should focus on staff capacity, and
may include (but not limited to) staff training, mentoring and supervision.
General Information
ISPIR is seeking applications for activities and events that will affect sustainable positive change
and reform on the current system, services and workforce, which will improve outcomes for people
with severe and persistent mental illness and complex needs.
Projects should address the criteria outlined within the Expression of interest form. All projects will
be assessed by an independent panel who will make a decision regarding suitability against the
criteria. Applicants should note that projects should not duplicate existing services available within
the community, unless there is a clear rational for proposing additional services.
Upon completion each activity will be required to submit a report detailing the activity and all
outcomes (both expected and unexpected); the learnings from the activity; and a financial report
detailing how funds were utilised in comparison with the budget submitted. Any unspent funds at
the completion of the activity must be returned to Grand Pacific Health on behalf of ISPIR.
ISPIR realises that the timing of this funding round is short which may limit some activities
however would encourage applications that consider a feasibility study, planning or scoping of an
activity of program for which funding could then be sought from alternate sources beyond July
2016.
Expression of Interest
ISPIR Capacity Building Funds
Information Sheet & Application
If you are interested in proposing an activity for consideration by ISPIR please complete the EOI form and
submit to [email protected] by close of business on Thursday 3 March 2016.
Please ensure completed applications (including any attachments) are no more than 6 typed pages in total.
If you would like to discuss your proposal prior to submitting or wish to gain some assistance in completing
the EOI form please contact:
Clare Williams - ISPIR Coordinator, Capacity
Building (Illawarra)
Phone: 02 4220 7600
[email protected]
Sofia Lema – ISPIR Coordinator, Capacity
Building (Shoalhaven)
Phone: 02 4448 2200
[email protected]
* PIR Objectives as outlined by the Department of Health can be viewed at
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pir-about
Expression of Interest
ISPIR Capacity Building Funds
Information Sheet & Application
Expression of Interest Form
Person/Organisation
making proposal
Date of Proposal
Contact person and
details
Name
Email
Preferred Phone
Address
Proposed Activity
Please provide a brief outline of your proposed activity. Further
information can be provided as an attachment
ISPIR Priority and PIR
objective
Please provide a brief statement outlining how your proposal aligns
with the ISPIR strategic priority areas and four objectives of DOH
for PIR
Target Population of
Activity
Examples include: Consumers, Carers, MH service providers,
general community members, other human service and community
sector workers, etc.
Expected
outcome/benefit of
activity for target
population
Any other possible
outcomes
Sustainability
Please outline the sustainability measure of this activity (ie how the
activity will provide long standing benefits beyond the length of the
activity)
Expression of Interest
ISPIR Capacity Building Funds
Information Sheet & Application
Resource Allocation
Funding
requested
Other resources
required
$
Resources
provided
Please provide information regarding any
resources you are able to offer to support
activity. Examples include: know how, staffing,
equipment, etc.
Examples include: staffing, location, other
equipment, etc
Partnerships
Please provide information regarding any partnerships that would
support this activity or may be established/developed as a result of
this activity
Timeframe
Please provide information regarding the timeframe associated with
the activity. For example 1 whole day, 10x 2 hour session over 10
weeks, three months with activity occurring over period
Risk
Please provide information regarding your assessment of the three
main risks associated with the activity/project and what strategies
will be implemented to address those
Project Plan
Please include or attach separately a brief project plan outlining the
requirements and timeline of the proposed activity/project