These include culturally and clinically capable individual and group therapy services, psychosocial support, prison transition services, family wellbeing services, support services for homeless people within the Brisbane CBD area, and social support services specifically targeted to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in South East Queensland. At IUIH, we refer to this collection of mental health and substance use services as Social Health Services.

Within Social Health, IUIH employs psychologists, social workers, peer support workers known as Family Wellbeing Workers, health workers with mental health and AOD qualifications and a psychiatric registrar. These services are fully integrated into a comprehensive primary healthcare model which means that anyone receiving IUIH’s Social Health services is exposed to and can access (depending on their specific needs) the full range of GP, allied health, dental and other services available through the IUIH Network of 17 clinics across the region.

At the core of the Social Health Program is an integrated model providing early intervention service responses. The IUIH Social Health program focuses on:

• building the capacity of individuals and families to work through challenges and improve their well-being through ongoing, targeted, case-managed services
• providing targeted, evidence-based, therapeutic treatment, including counselling, psychological services, human service support and specific treatments for alcohol and other drug issues.

Inner City Referral Service

IUIH’s Inner City Referral Service (ICRS) supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people residing within a 5km radius of the Brisbane CBD who require extra social health support, including for alcohol and other drug use issues, unmanaged chronic health conditions and housing.

ICRS supports clients through assertive outreach, intensive case management, referral and strengths-based practice and links clients to other agencies and services that can provide longer-term social health support if required. ICRS works within the existing IUIH System of Care to link clients to a local CCHS to enable a comprehensive Adult Health Check to be completed and appropriate referrals.

ICRS works collaboratively with ATSICHS Brisbane, the Queensland Police Service, Micah Projects, Queensland Health’s Homeless Health Outreach Team, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, the Princess Alexandra Hospital, substance misuse organisations, specialist homelessness services and community housing providers, and other social support services in the Brisbane City area.