Selectability mental health hub opens on Gill Street, Charters Towers
A dire need for mental health services in rural NQ is being addressed, with a newer, bigger and better suicide prevention hub in Charters Towers. See inside.
Townsville
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There is a new business on Gill Street – and it’s a life saver.
For the last few years mental health service provider selectability has been rapidly expanding across North Queensland from its original starting point in Townsville.
In true Charters Towers fashion, the new mental health and suicide prevention hub is a former feed store located at 172 Gill Street.
Selectability also owns the store next door, which they will use as a classroom and training hub.
Selectability CEO Debra Burden said there were big plans in the works for Charters Towers and beyond, when she attended the officially opening on November 1.
“We have seen a lot of growth in 3.5 years,” Ms Burden said.
“We plan to become accredited to provide aged care in the home and be a community housing provider as well.”
Right now, 66 per cent of selectability’s revenue comes from NDIS.
“We made 2.8 million in surplus income last year, and are forecasting $8 million in revenue this year,” Ms Burden said.
“We’ve got 800 staff and we are growing rapidly.”
Ms Burden said as a not-for-profit charity, surplus revenue was great news because every cent went back into programs.
The charity is expanding into Richmond in 2024 at the Richmond Shire mayor’s request, and recently assumed ownership of three aged care facilities in the Gulf after their operators pulled out of the region.
Right now, selectability runs in Townsville, Palm Island, Cairns, Mackay, Bowen and has been in Charters Towers several years, but located in a smaller building Ms Burden described as “not quite right”.
Finding buildings suited to being mental health support facilities is a challenge for the charity, which is always chasing large rooms, workshop spaces and commercial kitchens.
Buildings they’ve moved into include the old Caledonian Hall in Ayr, the Mooranbah bowls club, the Sarina RSL Club (which burnt down in Ayr, setting plans back), derelict buildings in Mount Isa and a former health hub in Longreach.
At the official opening, attendees also said goodbye to selectability regional co-ordinator Sue-Ellen Weedon, who was leaving her Charters Towers job and moving to Mackay to help steer the selectability team there.
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Originally published as Selectability mental health hub opens on Gill Street, Charters Towers
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