Wannik Gunyah

A supportive community for young people recovering from mental illness

What Wannik Gunyah does

With strong local community links, Wannik Gunyah is a flexible residential psycho-social recovery program for young people who have experienced serious mental health issues. Many of the young people have had limited social development due to the impact of early psychosis during their formative years.

Wannik Gunyah also offers an outreach service for up to 5 young people with Dual –Diagnosis, 16 – 24, who have the skills to live in the community with outreach support. This may include existing clients moving on from the residential program or new referrals. Due to the vast distances across Gippsland there are some areas that outreach service is not available.

Who can live at Wannik Gunyah

The residential program provides services to young people 16 – 24 years from the Gippsland Region. Clients are people who are at risk of suicide or other self-harm. This includes young people who have a recent diagnosis of serious mental illness and who may have had a recent psychiatric hospital admission.

Where

Wannik Gunyah is situated in a residential part of Traralgon and is made up of a small community of ten young people. Clients can be in the program for a maximum of two-years.

What the program aims to do

The staff at Wannik Gunyah work to provide the young people with opportunities for positive changes. They support the young people in whatever way is necessary for them to develop a sense of belonging and self-worth. There is an emphasis on helping them deal with day to day tasks and preparing them for independent living including linking them into the community through education and employment. Wannik Gunyah also maintains and promotes family inclusive practices.

How to access the program

Clients access the program by referral. The referral process is usually initiated by telephone. Then there is an informal visit to meet staff and other residents. Referral forms are completed before an interview and assessment date is confirmed.

Further information

Please contact Wannik Gunyah between 8.30am and 9.00pm Monday – Friday.
Phone: (51)761800 Email: info@mindaustralia.org.au