Doorway

"I have got healthy again simply because my life is stable and I have my own place for the first time in 15 years.”

What is Doorway?

Doorway is a high-fidelity Housing First program that supports people who are affected by mental ill health, and are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to secure and sustain a safe and affordable home using the private rental market.

Our Doorway housing and recovery workers focus on supporting you to find a stable home and then support you in your recovery. We work with you to develop skills to manage your tenancy, your mental health and assist you to make plans for the future based on your goals which may include employment, training and education.

How Doorway helps

You will have your own, dedicated Housing and Recovery Worker who will work with your clinical care team to support you. You will be assisted by people with lived experience to design supports that meet your individual needs and recovery goals.

This will include building relationships with friends, family and the community, as well as exploring work and study options.

You will pay 30 percent of your income and all your Rent Assistance directly to your real estate agent towards your rent.

We provide:

• support to find a home and sign a lease
• weekly support in your home
• help with looking for work or starting study
• support with building life skills and relationships
• assistance to buy essential items to establish your home if needed
• support to manage your rent and utility payments and to maintain your property
• help to transition out of the Doorway program into sustainable permanent housing.

How to access this service

To access Doorway you must be referred through your Clinical Case Manager at Alfred Health, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Peninsula Health or St Vincent’s Hospital.

To be eligible for referral to Doorway, you need to:

• be homeless or at risk of homelessness
• experience on-going mental ill health
• have a Clinical Case Manager at Alfred Health, Latrobe Regional Hospital, Peninsula Health or St Vincent’s Hospital
• want to live in the catchment area of your referring hospital
• be willing to accept weekly support from a Housing and Recovery Worker for your tenancy and mental health recovery goals
• agree to anonymously participate in research on the Doorway program.
  

For more information about this service call 1300 111 400 or email doorwayenquiries@wellways.org.