scholarly journals First, build the foundations:Practical considerations in general practitioner-mental health service liaison

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Welch ◽  
Tina Philip ◽  
Greg Aldridge
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Community Care ◽  
New South ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Basic Standards

The co-working relationship between general practitioners and local mental health serviceslies at the heart of the success of recent changes in mental health care. These changes haveseen large-scale deinstitutionalisation, a shift to primary and community care, and agovernment policy of prevention and partnerships. This article outlines a liaison projectdeveloped jointly by the South-East New South Wales Division of General Practice and theSouthern Area Mental Health Service to address these issues. We describe the developmentof a protocol of basic standards which were practical, pragmatic and possible and, when fullyestablished, would be the foundation of effective, efficient and efficacious shared care inmental health.

scholarly journals Better access to psychology services in primary mental health care: an evaluation

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjyot Vagholkar ◽  
Lesley Hare ◽  
Iqbal Hasan ◽  
Nicholas Zwar ◽  
David Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
New South ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The University ◽  
Program Data

Introduction: The Access to Allied Psychological Services program was introduced as part of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative in 2001?2002. Divisions of General Practice are funded to establish programs that allow GPs to refer patients for psychological treatments. The University of New South Wales evaluated programs run by the Southern Highlands and Illawarra Divisions of General Practice. This paper presents the findings of these evaluations. Method: Both evaluations analysed process and patient outcomes. This was obtained from a combination of program data and qualitative satisfaction data. Results: The two program models differed in the mechanism of retention of the psychologists and the method of referral of patients. Anxiety and depression were the main reasons for referral, and clinical data showed there was improvement in patient outcomes. Patients, GPs and psychologists expressed satisfaction with the programs. Discussion: The Access to Allied Psychological Services programs in both Divisions have proven popular. Flexibility in the program structure allows Divisions to develop a model which suits their local circumstances. There is support for ongoing Commonwealth funding and the challenge is to find the most effective and financially sustainable model of delivery for psychological services in primary care.

Recovery colleges in mental health-care services: an Australian feasibility and acceptability study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liza Hopkins ◽  
Andrew Foster ◽  
Sue Belmore ◽  
Shelley Anderson ◽  
Di Wiseman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of establishing a recovery college in an Australian acute and community adult mental health service. Very little has been published on efforts to incorporate recovery colleges in inpatient settings other than forensic. This study offers an evaluation of feasibility and acceptability of this service model within a health-care setting. Design/methodology/approach Participant feedback and qualitative implementation data, from an acute mental health-care inpatient ward and adult community care were used. Participants were mental health service consumers and staff. The intervention involved a co-produced, co-designed, co-delivered and co-received educational opportunity for mental health consumers, carers, staff and the community. Findings Feedback from course participants indicates that learning objectives were met by the majority of participants, while stakeholders identified that establishing a recovery college within both the inpatient and community health-care service was feasible at a service level and broadly acceptable to consumers. Originality/value Establishing an adult recovery college in inpatient and community care is likely to be effective re-orientating mental health-care services as well as improving outcomes for consumers.

Expert consensus on the operation of an adult tertiary intellectual disability mental health service in New South Wales, Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110142
Author(s):  
Jessica A Walsh ◽  
Janelle Weise ◽  
Claire Eagleson ◽  
Julian N Trollor ◽  
Rachael C Cvejic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
New South ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
South Wales

Objective: To identify and reach consensus on the priorities and operation of an adult tertiary intellectual disability mental health service in New South Wales, Australia. Method: An online Delphi consultation was conducted with 25 intellectual disability mental health experts. Results: Participants agreed that the service should involve a multidisciplinary team and accept people with an intellectual disability aged over 15 years with complex needs and/or atypical presentations. Agreed service roles included short-term assessment, diagnosis and treatment, providing high-level clinical advice, and capacity building. Endorsed principles and practical ways of working align with existing guidelines. Conclusions: This study describes experts’ views on how an adult tertiary intellectual disability mental health service should operate in New South Wales. Further consultation is needed to determine the views of people with an intellectual disability and mental health staff.

Telepsychiatry for the Rohingya refugees (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanjir Rashid Soron
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Need

UNSTRUCTURED Though health and shelter are two basic human rights, millions of refugees around the world are deprived of these basic needs. Moreover, the mental health need is one of least priority issues for the refugees. Bangladesh a developing country in the Southeast Asia where the health system is fragile and the sudden influx of thousands of Rohingya put the system in a more critical situation. It is beyond the capacity of the country to provide the minimum mental health care using existing resource. However, the refuges need immediate and extensive mental health care as the trauma, torture and being uprooted from homeland makes them vulnerable for various mental. Telepsychiatry (using technology for mental health service) opened a new window to provide mental health service for them. Mobile phone opened several options to reach to the refugees, screen them with mobile apps, connect them with self-help apps and system, track their symptoms, provide distance intervention and train the frontline health workers about the primary psychological supports. The social networking sites give the opportunity to connect the refugees with experts, create peer support group and provide interventions. Bangladesh can explore and can use the telepsychiatry to provide mental health service to the rohingya people.

Commentary on the harm reduction reference group of justice health and forensic mental health network and corrective services NSW, Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Anne Silano ◽  
Carla Treloar ◽  
Thomas Wright ◽  
Tracey Brown ◽  
Colette McGrath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
New South ◽  
Forensic Mental Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Network ◽  
South Wales

Purpose This commentary aims to reveal how a steering committee has effectively responded to advancing accessibility to harm reduction resources, hepatitis C virus (HCV) policy and health strategies within adult prison settings in New South Wales (NSW). Design/methodology/approach By reviewing the audit approach taken by the of the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and Corrective Services New South Wales Harm Reduction Reference Group (JHFMHN/CSNSW HRRG), this commentary emphasizes the committee’s success in identifying contemporary harm reduction issues that affect people in custodial settings. This commentary is a compilation of data gathered through the 2018 JHFMHN/CSNSW HRRG audit and corresponding program materials. Conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the working group’s audit were drawn by critically appraising the JHFMHN/CSNSW HRRG’s Final Audit Report (JHFMHN and CSNSW, 2018) with reference to current harm reduction literature. Findings The HRRG has provided leadership, professional representation and strategic advice on the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of best practice harm reduction strategies in prison settings. The HRRG developed and maintained networks and information exchange between the state-wide HCV health network, corrections services and the NSW harm reduction sector at large. Public health partnerships and advocacy that involve all key players, such as the HRRG, will continue to be crucial to remove barriers to enhancing HCV harm reduction measures especially in NSW prison settings. Social implications Strategies such as primary prevention and treatment can mitigate the spread of HCV in the custodial system. This audit of access to harm reduction resources was conducted on behalf of the diverse group of professionals, scholars and stakeholders comprising the HRRG. This audit and other advocacy efforts of this committee can facilitate future access to quality healthcare and the necessary policies required to support a healthier prison population at large. Originality/value Collaborating with health authorities, researchers and social service workers can enable prison health-care systems to be guided by wider health workforce programs and public health standards. This collaboration can reduce the professional isolation of custodial health-care staff and promote a balanced approach to harm reduction policies by ensuring an equitable focus on both health and security imperatives.

The health service contact patterns of people with psychotic and non-psychotic forms of severe mental illness in New South Wales, Australia: A record-linkage study

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110314
Author(s):  
Rachael C Cvejic ◽  
Preeyaporn Srasuebkul ◽  
Adrian R Walker ◽  
Simone Reppermund ◽  
Julia M Lappin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
New South ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
South Wales

Objective: To describe and compare the health profiles and health service use of people hospitalised with severe mental illness, with and without psychotic symptoms. Methods: We conducted a historical cohort study using linked administrative datasets, including data on public hospital admissions, emergency department presentations and ambulatory mental health service contacts in New South Wales, Australia. The study cohort comprised 169,306 individuals aged 12 years and over who were hospitalised at least once with a mental health diagnosis between 1 July 2002 and 31 December 2014. Of these, 63,110 had a recorded psychotic illness and 106,196 did not. Outcome measures were rates of hospital, emergency department and mental health ambulatory service utilisation, analysed using Poisson regression. Results: People with psychotic illnesses had higher rates of hospital admission (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.26; 95% confidence interval [1.23, 1.30]), emergency department presentation (adjusted IRR 1.17; 95% confidence interval [1.13, 1.20]) and ambulatory mental health treatment days (adjusted IRR 2.90; 95% confidence interval [2.82, 2.98]) than people without psychotic illnesses. The higher rate of hospitalisation among people with psychotic illnesses was driven by mental health admissions; while people with psychosis had over twice the rate of mental health admissions, people with other severe mental illnesses without psychosis (e.g. mood/affective, anxiety and personality disorders) had higher rates of physical health admissions, including for circulatory, musculoskeletal, genitourinary and respiratory disorders. Factors that predicted greater health service utilisation included psychosis, intellectual disability, greater medical comorbidity and previous hospitalisation. Conclusion: Findings from this study support the need for (a) the development of processes to support the physical health of people with severe mental illness, including those without psychosis; (b) a focus in mental health policy and service provision on people with complex support needs, and (c) improved implementation and testing of integrated models of care to improve health outcomes for all people experiencing severe mental illness.

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