The Ahikāroa Flexifund is available to provide extra short term staffing support to tāngata whai ora staying in a mental health residential recovery service, during a period of transition or high need.
Flexifund funding can be used to help sustain a placement where there has been a change in need, presentation, or risk. It can also be used to support a transition into or out of a placement.
Flexifund principles
- Flexifund additional staffing support is for a short-term period only, with an agreed timeframe for the funding to end or be reviewed.
- The support is for tāngata whai ora while they are staying in a mental health residential recovery service that Ahikāroa coordinates access to.
- Each application for funding is considered on a case-by-case basis and is centred around the needs of tāngata whai ora.
- All funding is needs rather than entitlement based.
- The support need should be discussed, planned and agreed between Ahikāroa, the residential provider, and the mental health clinician or keyworker.
The flexifund does not support:
- a long term or ongoing need for support, without an alternative plan for support or funding
- additional staffing support for someone when they are not staying at a mental health residential recovery service that Ahikāroa coordinates access to
- an immediate/acute or crisis need that requires additional staffing support to manage
- any additional staffing support that has not been agreed and approved by Ahikāroa
- payment of invoices to any agencies other than the contracted mental health residential recovery service that Ahikāroa facilitates access to.
How to make a Flexifund request
A request for funding can be made to Ahikāroa by the clinician or the residential provider. Requests need to meet the criteria and principles outlined above.
Ahikāroa will review the details of the request, and may discuss it further with the residential provider, clinician or Waikato DHB Strategy & Funding.
If the request is approved, the residential provider will source additional staffing and invoice Ahikāroa for payment.
Supporting information
The following information is required to support a flexifund application:
- the need for additional staffing to support a residential placement
- how the additional staffing would support the need
- how many hours are required
- the timeframe of need and how often the need will be reviewed
- a plan for the end of the funding period – what outcome is expected and what is the plan for the end of the funding period
- what alternative options are available to support the need.
Review
Ahikāroa will review the Flexifund funding with the residential provider, involving the clinical team as required.
If the support needs to change, is no longer required, or ends sooner than the agreed time period, the residential provider should inform Ahikāroa.
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