“People live in communities. They’re going to get better in communities.”
“People live in communities. They’re going to get better in communities.”
Hear from Dr Katherine Gill, founder of FND Australia Support Services, on putting community-based care beyond crisis.
Dr Katherine Gill and her assistance dog, Marlie.
People living with functional neurological disorder (FND) can experience serious neurological symptoms, physical disability and repeated hospital presentations. Yet many are discharged home without enough information about the condition or how to manage it. Some wait up to 18 months for a specialist program, and some never access specialist support at all.
“If you’re sitting on the wait list for that long, by the time you get in there, your condition’s already quite permanent,” explains Dr Katherine Gill, founder of FND Australia Support Services.
Katherine brings experience in medical research, occupational therapy and community mental health. However, when she first began experiencing FND she had few places to turn. The psychiatric journals available suggested symptoms could provide an unconscious benefit. That did not reflect her reality.
“There is no gain for me,” Katherine remembers thinking. “I’m just experiencing losses.”
Creating what was missing
Her experience helped her recognise how much people with FND needed accurate information, support and connection. What began as a small support group on Facebook grew into FND Australia Support Services.
“I never expected it to become my full-time job,” Katherine says. But as she travelled, ran workshops and brought people together, she saw how dire the need was, and the consequences of the “revolving door” of hospital care.
“People are ending up permanently disabled because of the lack of support,” she explains, adding that the consequences extend across the health and disability systems.
experience and Knowledge sharing within community
To help address that gap, FND Australia Support Services ran a community group program combining clinical knowledge with a peer worker’s lived experience.
“People got so much out of understanding the condition, knowing when they needed hospital care and knowing how to manage their symptoms,” she says.
The lived experience side provided “validation and connectedness”, showing people they are not alone.
Katherine’s message to decision-makers is straight-forward: “early intervention is cost effective”.
“If we want to save long-term costs to the health sector, the welfare sector, it’s providing that early intervention, and the community support.”
“People live in communities. They’re going to get better in communities,” she explains.
Katherine’s story is one of the voices behind our call to put community-based mental health care first. Read more about our Care Beyond Crisis 2027 NSW State Election campaign.
Help build the case for community-based mental health care
Get involved with Care Beyond Crisis using our Supporter Kit, with resources to help you share the campaign, connect with your local MP and build the case for community-based supports.
