The Grow Program is a mental well-being recovery program. It is a unique, peer-developed, evidence-based program that works flexibly and adaptively in a range of settings to provide timely and non-discriminatory intervention and support to people experiencing any type of mental health issue, whether diagnosed or not.

Strengths-based, the Grow Program uses recovery principles that recognise the value of every individual. It helps build people’s strengths, their internal resources and is highly beneficial to the ongoing health and wellbeing of people.

In 2021, the Grow mental wellbeing program was trialled in AOD residential settings in collaborative undertakings. The feedback from staff and clients has been incredibly positive. By being implemented in this co-occurring space the Grow Program successfully filled that decades-known gap of co-occurring mental health and AOD issues in communities.

Grow is a perfect fit with the philosophy and values of the residential programs. And, such timely access to Grow’s proven peer-developed program is deemed beneficial in terms of recovery and better health outcomes for co-occurring AOD and mental health clients long term. Such a collaboration has therefore provided a new and vital pathway to recovery for co-occurring clients. It also eases the financial burden on both the clients and service providers in the mental health and AOD sectors, and reduces the need for hospitalisations. This in turn reduces the pressure on emergency departments and services.

Michele Fiorenza from GrowWA will present a Case Study from a trial collaboration undertaken with a local, rural AOD service provider. The Grow Program was implemented using an MOU and protocols that were developed in collaboration with service providers, and it is hoped this successful model of implementation will be included into all co-occurring residential rehabilitation centres in rural and remote areas in Australia. Grow Program works!