Mercy Centre is a disability service provider currently operating 24 hours per day seven days per week in the Riverina/Murray, Central West, New England and Mid North Coast Local Planning Areas providing the following services:

• Accommodation support in the form of group homes and Outreach support to approximately 200 people with an intellectual disability, physical disability, psychiatric illness or acquired brain injury in the Albury, Orange and Coffs Harbour areas in NSW and Wodonga in Victoria. The organisation manages 14 group homes in Albury, 6 in Orange and 2 in Coffs Harbour. Two of the group homes in Albury are specialist children’s services with one of them specifically tailored to meet the needs of children with high physical support needs. The other specialises in supporting children with autism and challenging behaviours. Both children’s services operate 40 weeks per year from Monday to Friday. In addition some of the existing group homes specialise in services to people with extreme challenging behaviours, including high levels of assaultive behaviour. Many of the residents have been institutionalised in the past, while some have been involved in the criminal justice system. Accommodation support is also provided to a significant number of frail aged people with an intellectual disability. Many of these are provided with outreach support that is enabling them to remain in community accommodation rather than facility based. Outreach services are also provided to approximately 35 people with an intellectual disability, psychiatric illness and/or acquired brain injury.
  
  A number of innovative, flexible supported accommodation models are already in place to meet the varying needs of clients. These include:
  
  
  • Group Homes
  • Cluster Housing where two houses are constructed on a double house block
  • Unit based accommodation – similar to clustered villas where clients reside in individual self-contained units with shared support
  • In home support – where clients are provided with support in a private dwelling as required
  
  Current clients have a range of disabilities including autism, generalised developmental delays, downs syndrome, acquired brain injuries, sensory and physical disabilities as well as diagnosed psychiatric illnesses including schizophrenia and manic depression. Current clients require a range of physical supports including peg feeding, catheterisation, use of pixels and lifting hoists and motorised and manual wheelchairs. Ages of current clients range from 10 to 75. There are also a small number of Aboriginal clients in these accommodation settings, increasing staff’s cultural competence.
  
  
• Mercy Centre operates centre based and flexible respite services in the New England region, based in Narrabri. These services are provided in two homes, one for children and one for adults. These services are focussed on but not restricted to meeting the needs of Aboriginal families.
  
  
• Mercy Centre is currently providing accommodation and case management support to a number of individuals who have been referred through the DADHC Criminal Justice Programme. These include an individual who is Aboriginal was recently released from gaol and is being provided with intensive 1:1 support. This has involved intensive liaison with Department of corrective Services and various other support agencies including Aboriginal Health Service, Supported Employment and Probation and Parole. Mercy Centre is Case Managing these services.
  
  
• The organisation also provides accommodation and psycho-social support to individuals with multiple and complex care needs in Wodonga. These individuals have a combination of intellectual disabilities, psychiatric illness and acquired brain injuries and present with extreme challenging behaviours. Mercy Centre is one of very few organisations accredited and equipped with the necessary expertise to provide support under this Victorian initiative.
  
  
• Many current clients are provided with specialist behaviour management programming support and training. This is due to the organisation’s specialisation in providing services to people with extremely high levels of challenging behaviour in line with its philosophy of providing services to those in greatest need. Many current service users have been refused services by other organisations.
  
  
• The organisation provides services including training, support and consultancy in remote areas of Papua New Guinea. Day programmes have been set up in remote areas of PNG for local people with various disabilities. This has required working within the boundaries of local customs, superstitions, social and political structures. Staff travel to PNG twice each year, staying up to a month. Services are provided in collaboration with local PNG services. This experience continually challenges staff to be culturally sensitive and competent.
  
  
• Mercy Centre also provides flexible respite services to adults and children with disabilities in the Albury and Wodonga areas. The organisation liaises with other service who broker the delivery of respite from Mercy Centre. Respite is provided in suitable settings in existing Mercy Centre group homes. Resident compatibility is assessed in all respite cases. Respite services are also provided in the person’s own home. Responsive emergency respite is often provided on extremely short notice.
  
  
• The organisation also provides day programmes in Albury, Orange and Coffs Harbour for approximately 70 people. These programmes include community participation, pre-vocational activities, recreation and leisure, individual skill development and daily living skills.
  
  
• The organisation is an approved service provider for the Transition to Work Program and Community Participation Program in Albury, Dubbo, Cowra, Young, Cootamundra, Coffs Harbour and Forbes as well as the mid-western LGA covering Blayney, Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon.
  
  
• The organisation provides specialist behaviour support programmes and consultation to a DADHC funded boarding house as well as consultancy to other disability organisations in the region.
  
  
• The organisation also provides financial administration services to individuals.
  
  
• The organisation also provides specialist behaviour management consulting services to children and adults.