Mental Health Services

Adult Mental Health Centre:

The Adult Mental Health Centre aims to provide high quality comprehensive mental health services to meet the needs of the adult population within the Swan region. It is a multidisciplinary mental health team which provides outpatient and community delivered psychiatric service to people with acute, chronic and severe mental health problems.

The centre provides:

• semi-urgent triage assessment and care planning for new clients referred through primary health providers because of acute mental health problems;
• ongoing assessment, case management and therapeutic services to adults with severe mental health problems resulting in significant impairment in their occupational, social and personal functioning;
• consultation, liaison and support to general practitioners and other primary care providers to facilitate the shared management of adult clients with mental health problems.

The Adult Mental Health Centre is structured into a variety of teams/programmes.

The Acute Response Team

The Acute Response Team provides urgent assessment (24-48 hours) and support to new referrals and known clients of the service. The core staff of the acute response service are the Triage Officer, a Level 3 Clinical Nurse Specialist, Senior Social Worker and Crisis Intervention Officer. They are supported in this function by other mental health practitioners on a rostered daily basis from 12.15 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.

Community Care Teams

Three geographically based multidisciplinary teams function to provide assessment and continuing care of clients requiring specialist mental health treatment. The teams are Midland and Hills. Each team has permanent membership from the following disciplines:

• Psychiatrist
• Clinical Psychologist
• Social Worker
• Level 3 Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Level 2 Clinical Nurse

Registrars in psychiatry training, medical officers and general practitioners are allocated to teams as appropriate.

Morley Adult Mental Health Centre

The Morley Adult Mental Health Service started operations in October 2000 and was established to improve access to mental health services for people in the Morley district and surrounding suburbs. Our catchment area includes:

• Ballajura, Bayswater, Bedford, Beechboro, Belhus, Cullacabardee, Dianella (eastern/ north eastern side of Alexander Drive), Ellenbrook, Embleton, Kiara, Malaga, Morley, Noranda, Whiteman
• Office Hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Our Team

The Morley Adult Mental Health Centre has been established as a multidisciplinary community based team with the aim to provide services as close as possible to where people live. Our team consists of:

• Consultant Psychiatrists
• Psychiatric Registrar
• Clinical Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Mental Health Nurses
• Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist
• Early Intervention Program

Registrars in psychiatry training, medical officers and general practitioners are allocated to the team as appropriate.

Hostel Outreach Support Team (HOST)

Psychiatric, medical and psychosocial interventions are provided by this multidisciplinary team to clients currently residing in government licensed psychiatric hostels within the Swan catchment area. This team currently provides a service to the 7 licensed and 2 unlicensed hostels in the area.

These clients are generally the most marginalised and disadvantaged of people seen through mental health facilities. The multidisciplinary team aims to increase people's self-esteem, their level of functioning, review their accommodation and assist them to be maintained within the community.

Early Intervention Workers

There are three Early Intervention Workers one assigned to each adult team. The team also has access to the services of an Outreach Worker. The Early Intervention Workers provides intensive case management for up to 10 clients per clinician. The aim of the programme is to minimise repeated hospital admissions and to minimise the length of hospital stay. Important functions of the team include assessment and assistance in identifying and attaining relevant rehabilitation goals, assistance in client skill development, psychoeducation to family and clients, support and involvement in community activities and support to carers.

Swan Elderly Mental Health Service (SEMHS)

This service aims to assess and treat older adults, aged over 65 years, with serious, acute or persistent mental health problems in a variety of settings, including their own homes, hostels, nursing homes, Sheoak Rehabilitation Service and within the short term inpatient facility. Services will be provided to clients aged below 65 years, based on need and appropriateness of the service.

• The Swan Elderly Mental Health Service is an important component of the wider Swan Mental Health Service. The three components of the service provided are:
• Boronia inpatient care for the mental health treatment of the target population. The facility is now authorised and can provide inpatient care to both voluntary and involuntary patients.
• Community outreach is provided by a multidisciplinary team to all consumers and carers eligible for service, irrespective at their domestic arrangements.
• Sheoak Rehabilitation Unit provides individualised assessment and programme to inpatients and people living in the community in nursing homes, hostels and with carers to assist clients to successfully adjust to ageing.

South Guildford Centre

South Guildford Centre provides a comprehensive weekday service for approximately 140 clients with serious and persistent mental health disabilities predominantly aged from 40 - 65. However, this client group is changing due to a younger population now residing in the hostels.

The Centre provides 3 types of programmes - Hostel, Day Centre and Community Skills, which can be undertaken separately or combined in different ways to suit individual needs and develop specific competencies. All are designed to improve quality of life and build confidence, independence and self-esteem through a sense of autonomy and achievement.

Viveash Rehabilitation Centre

Viveash Rehabilitation Centre is a rehabilitation centre for people clinically diagnosed with a mental health disorder that significantly impacts upon psychosocial functioning and participation with the community.

The service provides individual and group programmes for consumers:

• living in the Swan catchment area.
• aged from 16 - 65 years, predominantly 16 - 45 years.
• willing to engage and participate in rehabilitation programme.
• managed by Psychiatrist/ General Practitioner or Mental Health Clinic.

Hours of operation are 8.30 - 4.30pm Monday to Friday (with some after hours activities).

Swan Valley Centre

Swan Valley Centre was officially opened on 29th January 2001. Seventeen open beds became operational on this date, with the remaining eight secure beds being opened on 12th March following the commencement of additional medical and nursing staff.

Swan Valley Centre is uniquely designed in that it comprises 17 open beds, 3 secure beds and 5 'swing' beds, which may be designated, either open or closed, and provides 24 hour inpatient care for Mental Health clients.

The unit consists of single and double bedrooms most with ensuite facilities. The secure area contains the reception area for patients admitted via ambulance. A secure room is also available for use should seclusion be necessary.

The service is staffed with Registered Mental Health Nurses, Medical Staff, Senior Social Worker, Welfare Officer and Occupational Therapist.

The service is considered to be an integral component of the community mental health resources and is seen as an important addition to the overall management of local residents. In recognition of this, integration between Swan Valley Centre and Swan Adult Mental Health Centre staff is encouraged through the provision of secondment/ employment opportunities across the services.

Considerable liaison and service development work has been commenced with Swan District Hospital which in resulting greater coordination of service and improved outcomes for clients and staff.

Early Discharge Program

The Early Discharge Program is a structured group program designed to provide an alternative to admission for clients at risk of relapse or to facilitate early discharge for in patients of the Swan Valley Centre.

Aims:

• To assist in the transition from the in-patient setting to the community
• To aid in the minimisation of readmission for people who are identified as being vulnerable to this occurrence
• To identify and enhance community supports
• To minimise the impact of mental illness on a person's level of functioning
• To provide continuity of care within Swan Mental Health Service

Program Structure

The Early Discharge Program is staffed from 8.30am to 4.30pm. The group program operates from 9.30am to 3.15pm. The services provided by the Early Discharge Program include the group program as well as individual treatment sessions. Swan Valley Centre in-patients are encouraged to attend the program to facilitate discharge. Community clients may attend the program for up to six weeks. All attendance plans are reviewed regularly and may be negotiated depending upon individual needs.

Swan Valley Child And Adolescent Mental Health Service

The Swan Valley Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is a specialised programme for children, adolescents and their families who have significant emotional and behavioural problems.

It consists of two professional teams:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• Youth Therapy Service

The service is free and offers:

• Assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and their families up to the age of 18 who live in the Swan Catchment Area.
• These programmes do not provide emergency services or assessments for medical, legal or forensic purposes.
• The service is staffed by Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers and an Aboriginal Liaison Officer who have particular interest and skills in working with children and adolescents.

The following services are provided by both teams:

• Individual counselling
• Group counselling
• Family therapy

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service can work with young people and their families on issues such as:-

• Prolonged sadness, misery or depression
• Stress, anxiety and fearfulness
• School refusal
• Eating problems
• Aggression and anger
• Self-esteem problems
• Grief due to loss or separation
• Emotional reactions to trauma
• Social skills and peer relationship problems
• Family relationship difficulties

Youth Therapy Service

The Youth Therapy Service is funded by the National Mental Health Strategy. It is an innovative programme focussing on the provision of a community based follow-up service for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth, aged between 12 - 18 years, who are at high risk of suicide and/ or following suicide attempts. The programme provides support and education for the carers of the identified target group. The Youth Therapy Service is funded to provide services to the target group, within the Swan and Kalamunda catchment area.

ANCILLARY STAFF OPERATING ACROSS MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES

All Mental Health Programmes have access to an ancillary staff member to assist in the assessment, management and support needs of clients.

This ancillary role is:

• Accommodation and Community Resources Manager.

The Accommodation and Community Resources Programme

The creation of an Accommodation and Community Resources Manager position occurred in February, 1996, following the successful attainment of National Mental Health Strategy funding. The role of the Accommodation and Community Resources Manager is to support case managers to achieve appropriate and secure accommodation options for mental health clients with housing needs through liaison and negotiation with government and non-government housing and support programmes.

Planning the development and coordination of a comprehensive supportive accommodation programme for clients of Swan Mental Health Service and the recruitment of a non-government organisation to fulfil the headleasing requirements with Homeswest have been the objectives of this programme.

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