Health Self-Help funding

Page content: Purpose of these grants | Funding & administration | Who can get assistance | How to get assistance | Related documents | Further information | Disability Self Help Funding Program

Purpose of these grants

The Health Self-Help Funding Program provides non-recurrent grants of up to $5,000 to health self-help groups across the State that are not eligible for other government grants. The primary objective of the program is to increase the capacity of people who are affected by a chronic health condition or mental illness, to live independently and fully in their own community.

The broad aims of the Health Self-Help Funding Program are to provide financial support to health self-help groups to:

• Increase the capacity of people with a chronic health condition or mental illness to live independently and fully in their own community
• Encourage a network of peer support and information exchange for people with a chronic health condition or mental illness and their families and carers within their communities
• Increase opportunities for self-help groups to provide information and education on the conditions and problems that they experience.

Funding & administration

The Health Self-Help Funding Program is funded and administered by the Rural and Regional Health and Aged Care Services at DHS.

Who can get assistance

A self-help group is a group of people who meet of their own accord to assist each other to better understand and more effectively manage their health needs, in relation to a disability or a chronic health condition.

The Health Self Help Program is open to all self-help groups that focus on a chronic health condition or a mental illness and provide mutual support and education programs to members as well as community information about the illness.

Funding is not available for generalist health and wellbeing groups.

In addition, a self-help group must be:

• Operated and administered separately from a larger organisation (e.g. have a separate committee of management and separate ABN)
• Non-profit making
• Managed by its members
• An organisation with a specific ongoing membership, not just an activity or education group run by a health or disability agency.

How to get assistance

To apply, complete an application form and deliver it to the relevant Health Self Help Funding Program Contact Officer.

Health Self-Help application form (243kb, pdf)

Health Self-Help application form (384kb, MS Word)

Health Self-Help funding program guidelines (40kb, pdf)

List of Department of Human Services contact officers (47kb, pdf)

Completed applications can be hand delivered or posted to DHS by 5pm on Friday 21 August 2009. No late, faxed or electronic applications will be accepted.

Related documents

Department of Human Services Privacy Policy (from August 2005)

The statement by a supplier form is available from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) website.

Further information

Contact your nearest Department of Human Services contact officer (47kb, pdf)

Disability Self Help Funding Program

The Disability Self-Help Funding Program is now funded and administered by the Department of Planning and Community Development.

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