Authors: St. Vincent’s Mental Health Victoria
Year: 2009
Event: 2009 TheMHS Awards
Subject:
Type of resource: TheMHS Awards
Award state: VIC
Award level: Finalist
Award category: Mental Health Promotion or Mental Illness Prevention Program or Project
Abstract: In 2003, St. Vincent’s Mental Health realised that consumers were asking many questions about medication management. Enabling consumers to make informed decisions about their own mental health management is a key to recovery, so staff commenced a project to improve the provision of information about commonly prescribed medications. Weekly Medication Information Forums were held for inpatients and in 2007 a consumer consultant researcher asked consumers for their perspectives on medication information. As a result, a Medication Information Booklet written in accessible language with information that consumers wanted, was developed to supplement the Forums. To reach more consumers, the Booklets were translated into Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek and Italian. Now with financial sponsorship, the booklets have been made freely available to all consumers of mental health services. The popular interactive forums have been extended to community services, other areas and organisations. Information about the success of the Project has been widely disseminated. Description of Facility/Organisation: St. Vincent’s Mental Health (SVMH) includes an adult area mental health service for the inner city areas of Yarra and Boroondara and regional and state-wide services. Its budget is approximately $27 million, with 270 staff providing integrated care across inpatient and community settings to 750 registered consumers. The adult mental health service components are: Two community mental health services providing: Triage; Crisis Assessment and Treatment; Continuing Care; Mobile Support and Treatment; Homeless Outreach. Yarra Boroondara Primary Mental Health Service; Footbridge (Community care residential units); 44 bed Acute Inpatient Service, including 5 Koori State-wide Inpatient beds; Early Psychosis Program; Psychiatric Consultation & Liaison Service. SVMH also auspices the following specialist services: Northern NEXUS Dual Diagnosis (Substance misuse) Service; Dual Diagnosis State-wide Education and Training Unit; Victorian Dual Disability (Intellectual Disability) Service; Victorian Transcultural Psychiatry Unit.
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