Partners inRecovery
Referrer Information
What is Partners in Recovery (PIR) and who should I refer?
PIR aims to improve the system response and outcomes for people with severe and persistent mental illness, by facilitating individually tailored ‘wrap-around care’. If you know someone who could benefit from assistance to access new services, or to connect or improve their existing services, PIR might be the answer.
The PIR initiative focuses on people who have severe and persistent mental illness, with complex support needs that therefore require a response from multiple agencies across different sectors. These individuals have persistent symptoms, significant functional impairment and psychosocial disability, and may have become disconnected from social or family support networks or clinical and community supports.
What is different about PIR - what can I expect?
PIR is not a clinical service, it has a support facilitation role. PIR is not intended to offer a new ‘service’ in the traditional sense, but instead to assist in finding and/or better coordinating existing services and supports.
PIR brings together a range of agencies across the mental health, general health, housing, employment and training, and drug and alcohol sectors. The PIR initiative is the mechanism that will ‘glue together’ all of the services and supports within the region that an individual may require. It also has a broader
reform agenda to improve overall regional service provision, care coordination and systemic advocacy through stronger cross-sectoral partnerships.
What are Support Facilitators and Coordinators? What will they do?
The PIR team are skilled and experienced individuals who work to better link and coordinate services for PIR clients. They will assessindividual care needs, develop action plans, and build pathways and networks of services and supports. They will also work closely with PIR clients, their families and carers, and with existing care providers.
How do I refer someone to the initiative?
Referrals can come from anybody – this might include GPs, health professionals, support workers or carers.
People can also self-refer themselves to our service.
You can phone a PIR Coordinator further advice or discussion on 08 8307 2800.
Referral to the PIR initiative is through a single referral form which can be accessed from Life Without Barriers (the lead agency for PIR in the Southern Adelaide, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island [SAFKI] region), by phone on 8307 2800 or by email at .
Once received, PIR will acknowledge receipt of the referral and a PIR Coordinator will then follow up within two business days. PIR staff are available to meet with the referrer and consumer to establish individual needs and goals. They will assist in accessing existing services to address these needs and goals, or will make a plan to broker these where services are non-existent or exhausted.
Are there inclusion criteria for the PIR initiative?
A person may be eligible for PIR if they meet the following criteria:
1. The person appears to have a severe and persistent mental illness. Following acceptance of the referral, the PIR Support Facilitator will need to verify a diagnosis or arrange for a diagnosis to be made (as per the inclusion criteria).This would usually be undertaken as a component of the Needs Assessment.
2. The person has complex needs that require services from multiple agencies.
3. The person requires substantial support and assistance to engage with the various services to meet their needs.
4. There are no existing coordination arrangements in place to assist the person in accessing the necessary services; or where they are in place, those arrangements have failed, have contributed to the problems experienced by the client, and are likely to be addressed by acceptance into PIR.
5. The person or their legal guardian has indicated their willingness to participate in the PIR initiative.
Who coordinates PIR and is there a cost?
PIR is a free service, funded by the Australian Government.
It is coordinated in the SAFKI region by Life Without Barriers, in partnershipwith other service providers across: primary care (health and mental health); State specialist mental health; the mental health and broader non-government sector; carer supports; alcohol and other drug treatment services; income support services; and theeducation, employment and housing support sectors.
What does the PIR referral process involve?
Identify the PIR initiativeis suitable for the individual
If the individual meets the
selection criteria:
Phone a PIR Coordinator
on 08 8307 2800 for advice,
or to request a referral form.
Complete the referral
form and email to or
fax to 08 8186 0107
PIR will acknowledge the fax
with a receipt of the referral.
A PIR Coordinator will make
contact within two business
days to discuss the referral.
Consult with the individual about
the next steps as indicatedby
the PIR Coordinator.
For more information, or to discuss a referral, please contact the SAFKI Partners in Recovery office on 8307 2800 or .
The Southern Adelaide, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island PIR initiative is implemented by a consortium of: Life Without Barriers; Junction Australia; Mind Australia; Workskil Australia;Country Health SA Local Health Network (CHSALHN); Country Health SA - Mental Health; Southern Adelaide Local Health Network - Mental Health, Primary Health and Transition Services (SALHN); Department of State Development; and Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia. This is an initiative of the Australian Government.