91É«ÇéƬ

For people experiencing mental health concerns, finding the right support can be difficult. Health systems can be fragmented and hard to navigate, particularly when distress is compounded by circumstances such as trauma, social isolation or housing insecurity. When timely, safe and empathetic help is hard to find, people may turn to a hospital Emergency Department or not seek help at all. Emergency care remains essential when needed, but these busy clinical environments can exacerbate rather than ease a person’s distress.Ìý

St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney is developing the Goodman Urban Health Hub (UHH) as a community-focussed response to this challenge. Located in the former Green Park Hotel in Darlinghurst, one block from the hospital, the UHH will offer a welcoming non-clinical place where people can find human connection and practical support. It will help people access support informed by lived experience, while providing clear pathways to acute care or other services when needed.

The Urban Health Hub is philanthropically funded through the Goodman Foundation and St Vincent’s Curran Foundation philanthropic donors, with the Innovation Hub engaged to support the design of its Model of Care. The project builds on a longstanding relationship between 91É«ÇéƬ and St Vincent’s and demonstrates the value of universities collaborating with external partners to solve complex real-world challenges.