Opening of Keith’s Closet at Shellharbour Hospital. Photo: Supplied.
A once-unused space at Shellharbour Hospital has transformed into Keith’s Closet — a walk-in wardrobe filled with donated clothes, shoes, and toiletries to provide mental health patients with dignity on their journey to recovery.
Pioneered by former mental health nurse Keith Donnelly in Sydney in 2019 after witnessing patients walk in with only the clothes on their back, the not-for-profit was backed by a $185,000 NSW Government investment to provide additional wardrobes, with its latest being Shellharbour.
Designed for those navigating severe mental health or mental illness recovery, the Shellharbour wardrobe is open to those who have an arranged “shopping visit” with their assigned nurse.
Minister for Health Ryan Park opened the doors to the Shellharbour Keith’s Closet on Thursday (10 July), admitting he was impressed with the idea when Mr Donnelly first shared how it could support mental health consumers to access essential supplies to support their wellbeing.
“He talked to me about some of the challenges people coming into a hospital with a mental health diagnosis face,” Mr Park said.
“He talked to me in heartfelt words about what it’s been able to do to lift their self-esteem.
“I then had the opportunity to see first-hand, at Prince of Wales [Hospital], what this closet actually looked like and I was just blown away.”
He said he would never forget the man he met that day who received new clothes and shoes, who told him he had never felt like that before in his life.
“Often in NSW Health, we talk about projects that are in the millions and billions,” he said.
“This, for me, is probably some of the best $185,000 we’ll ever spend as a government.”
He said when patients visited Keith’s Closet, they could choose from a range of donated goods such as clothes, shoes and toiletries – all with a view to help them feel better about themselves so they could focus on their treatment and recovery.
“Focused on fostering dignity and respect within the care process, Keith’s Closet is a truly inspiring space,” he said.
As a mental health nurse back home in Ireland, Mr Donnelly regularly saw patients arrive at the ward with no additional clothes and no family support to run a suitcase in for them.
When he arrived in Australia, he found the same issue here.
Inside Keith’s Closet in Shellharbour Hospital. Photo: Supplied.
“During my time as a student and qualified mental health nurse, I recognised that patients accessing our services often arrived at hospital with just the clothes on their backs and with limited access to alternative clothing, toiletries and accessories,” he said.
Mr Donnelly said the program transformed unused hospital spaces like seclusion rooms into walk-in wardrobe stores, giving patients “absolute kindness, dignity and the self-esteem that each and every one of us really deserves”.
Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson said Keith’s Closet reflected the kind of mental health care it believed in – “practical, compassionate and grounded in dignity”.
“A clean shirt, a pair of shoes, a toothbrush, these are small things that can help someone feel themselves again and focus on their recovery,” Ms Jackson said.
“We are working to build a mental health system that supports people as they are. Keith’s Closet does that by meeting people with kindness and giving them what they need.”
Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson said the new Keith’s Closet was helping to provide more comprehensive support to people living with mental illness.
“We know that mental health in our communities is a huge issue,” Ms Watson said.
“We were only here last week talking about the new [Safe Assessment] Unit at Shellharbour Hospital, and now to match that … we have Keith’s Closet.
“This innovative model of care builds on the compassionate care health staff at Shellharbour Hospital provide each and every day to these vulnerable patients.”
Mr Donnelly acknowledged support from volunteers, sponsors and the wider community in helping establish and run the closets.
For more information, visit Keith’s Closet.
