Abstract: Submission #124

Abstract Despite their roles not being clearly defined in mental health care services, social workers have been and continue to be the first point of entry in several communities for mental health services. Most rural communities in South Africa are underserviced when concerning services relating to mental health, the Life Esidimeni tragedy is one practical example. Mental ill-health poses a great threat to several people with mental illness in South Africa. However, the needs of people with mental illness and related challenges are not well documented. Hence this paper sought to explore the mental healthcare needs of people with mental illness from the perspectives of their service providers (i.e., social workers) at selected centres in South Africa. The study employed a qualitative, exploratory multiple case study design. Furthermore, the purposive and convenience sampling techniques were employed to select social workers (n=13) in five community-based centres. The collected data was analysed through thematic analysis. This study found that people with mental illness are underserved at the community level. Further findings of the study revealed that there are no clear guidelines for the admission of a person with mental health-related challenges. However, the findings revealed that hospitals and clinics don’t prioritise people with mental illness. It is recommended that meticulous guidelines be enacted at a community-based level for the admission of people with mental illness and their related services.