5. Post-Release Support During the course of the inspection visits and interviews the Commission also became aware of significant issues around the provision of support for those who had been released from hotel APODs. One community service organisation observed that ‘release from held detention – including APODs – represents only one step in a very long journey for people subject to Australia’s offshore processing regime’. The Commission has serious concerns about the adequacy of these post-release arrangements, particularly in terms of the support provided through the SRSS, the visa renewal process, and the continuity of medical care post-release. When considering the provision of post-release support it is particularly important to keep in mind that there are likely to be significant barriers impacting upon the capacity of individuals to engage with daily life in the Australian community. After spending such a lengthy period of time in detention, many of the individuals released from hotel APODs have found themselves institutionalised and not knowing how to access all of the necessary fundamentals of living in the community. Additional barriers to successful community engagement include past histories of trauma, ongoing physical and mental health conditions, language barriers, lack of familiarity with Australia and local systems, and challenges in acculturation. There have recently been changes to the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) program that have increased both the level and duration of support available to eligible individuals, and there are further changes currently being implemented with respect to the number of providers nationally. The observations below were made before these changes were introduced, however are still relevant in terms of highlighting the key issues surrounding the provision of adequate support for individuals released from hotel APODs (or other forms of immigration detention). It is ultimately in the interests of the wider Australian community to ensure that adequate supports are provided in these circumstances, for both sound economic and humanitarian reasons. 5.1 Status Resolution Support Services While individuals described being thankful and relieved upon their release from detention in the hotel APODs, they also described being overwhelmed, confused and anxious when considering what would happen next and how they would manage their day-to-day lives. One community service organisation described the individuals they were supporting post-release as being ‘fearful, not sleeping well and have felt unsafe on release due to the sudden nature of the release and of not knowing how to access all the necessary fundamentals of living in the community’. Individuals released from hotel APODs and living in the community under either a Bridging Visa E or a Residence Determination arrangement would initially be eligible for support under the SRSS program upon release. The SRSS program is designed to provide short-term support to individuals while they engage with the Department to resolve their immigration status. The support provided is tailored to the needs of the individual, and may include financial support, accommodation, access to health care, case worker support and case management. Services providers are contracted in each State and Territory to deliver the SRSS program.104 There were a total of 1,808 individuals receiving support from the SRSS program as at 31 January 2022,105 including many of those who were released The Use of Hotels as Alternative Places of Detention (APODs) • 2023 • 53