Six months of collaboration and hard work came to fruition yesterday with the official launch of Open Minds Australia and Ability Options business premises in Townsville.
The partnership has brought together these leading Not For Profit organisations with over 140 years of combined experience to provide disability, mental health and employment support for the north.
CEO of Open Minds Australia, Marie Fox and CEO of Ability Options, Fred Van Steel agree that the partnership is a “beautiful marriage”.
“Both organisations have extraordinarily similar values with our shared primary emphasis being on the client,” Mr Van Steel said.
“By combining our skill sets we’re able to provide a comprehensive range of support options,” Ms Fox said.
“The opening of this office is an important milestone in our collaboration which we hope will change the lives of many in the north for the better,” she said.
Mr Van Steel said people shouldn’t live in institutions because they belong in communities.
“People with mental health issues and disabilities deserve to be treated with the same respect,dignity and freedom of choice that you and I enjoy,” he said.
Each year one in every five Australians, experience a mental illness. Similarly, over four million Australians have some form of disability.
With 321,500 people receiving disability support services in 2013-2014 and an annual cost of mental illness in Australia estimated at $20 billion, the Open Minds Australia and Ability Options partnership has launched at a perfect time with the early introduction of NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) trial sites to the Townsville, Charters Towers and Palm Island regions.
Around 1600 people are expected to be eligible for the NDIS in these early transition sites, with up to 600 of these people expected to receive their funded packages by July 1, 2016.
The remaining 1000 eligible people from the early transition sites will receive their funded packages from July 2016.
Open Minds Australian chair Mike Gilmour is looking forward to Open Minds Australia and Ability Options becoming a real contributor for those in need across the north.
“Through our support and assistance we’ll give our clients the tools to build their future, their way, through the NDIS scheme,” he said.
Guest of honour and Member for Mundingburra Coralee O’Rourke officially opened the office located at 287 Ross River Road, Aitkenvale, while cutting the ceremonial cake.
Ms O’Rourke said it’s always a pleasure to see a business open that’s focussed on helping others.
“I can’t wait to see the impact this great collaboration has on individuals and families effected by disability and mental health issues,” she said.
During their Welcome to Country speeches Bindal traditional owner Grace Smallwood and Wulgurukaba traditional owner Linda Saltner agreed that their can never be enough Open Minds Australia and Ability Options centres.
“Even if we had a 100 of these centres we’d still only be at the tip of the iceberg in relation to the amount of mental health cases in Australia,” Ms Smallwood said.
Ms Saltner said mental health is an issue that is close to her heart.
“My family has dealt with mental health issues for three decades, and it’s facilities on the ground providing assistance at a grassroots level that are imperative for real change to occur,” she said.
