
Authors: Tina Smith, Eddie Bartnik, Lisa Brophy, Walter Kmet, Kim Lane, Amanda Bresnan
Year: 2017
Event: 2017 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Symposium, Wellbeing
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: The first two priority areas of Australia’s draft Fifth National Mental Health Plan (2016) are to provide ‘integrated and regional planning and service delivery’ and ‘coordinated treatment and supports for people with severe and complex mental illness’. These priorities are important because integrated and coordinated service delivery is foundational to the delivery of prevention, promotion, and early intervention (PPEI) and rehabilitation services for people with mental health conditions. PPEI and psychosocial rehabilitation services are in turn critical to providing effective care at reduced financial and human costs. Service delivery approaches that intervene early to support recovery, reduce the likelihood of impairment and disability, and result in other health and wellbeing outcomes that include meaningful and contributing lives for people with mental health conditions are important to both National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and mental health reform.
Important opportunities to strengthen integrated and coordinated health and social care that intervenes early are now presenting and include:
• Implementation of the NDIS including for people severely impacted by psychosocial disability related to a mental health condition
• Emerging roles of Primary Health Networks (PHNs) in regionally based population mental health planning and the commissioning of mental health services, and
• Increasing clarity of directions under the Fifth National Mental Health Plan.
The Mental Health Coordinating Council (MHCC) in NSW has organised this symposium facilitated by Eddie Bartnik, Strategic Advisor to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and former WA Mental Health Commissioner. The symposium panellists are:
• Dr Lisa Brophy, Senior Research Fellow, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at Mind Australia and Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne
• Walter Kmet, Chief Executive Officer, Western Sydney Primary Health Network and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Western Sydney
• Kim Lane, Executive Leader - Innovation, Partnership and Engagement, Hunter New England Mental Health, and
• Amanda Bresnan, Executive Director, Community Mental Health Australia.
To date, inter-governmental processes have been the main drivers of NDIS implementation and mental health reform environments. However, policy directions increasingly support notions of consumer, carer and community co-design - and increasingly, service user self-determination - in the delivery of services. MHCC is concerned that while reform continues to be government driven and with few cross-government accountabilities, the slow pace of change and innovation will continue. We have designed this symposium to allow participants the opportunity to reflect upon the changing health and social care interface through the lens of prevention and promotion service delivery approaches that include intervening early (i.e., with people of any age) and early intervention (i.e., with young people). What will strengthen the health and social care interface in Australia?
Themes explored by panellists include:
• Effective evidence based interventions for intervening early with people with mental health conditions in an NDIS context
• The role of PHNs in mental health reform and emerging directions to early intervention with young people experiencing mental health issues
• A public mental health service’s reflections on the evolution of mental health mainstream interface with the NDIS
• The urgent need to address the gaps opening up in the availability of psychosocial rehabilitation and supports delivered by community managed mental health services
• Application of ‘Applied Principles’ to determine responsibilities of the NDIS and mainstream services including development of Information, Linkages and Capacity-building (ILC) directions.
Symposium participants will have the opportunity to explore these and other questions with panellists:
• How does intervening early with people of all ages enhance health and wellbeing and prevent psychiatric crisis necessitating hospitalisation?
• How do we improve integrated and coordinated services for people, and especially young people, affected by mental health conditions?
• How do we reduce gaps when transitioning people from hospital to primary healthcare and community-based services?
• What is required to strengthen integrated and coordinated mental health treatment, rehabilitation and support services?
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking symposium where the imminent panellists and MC will reflect upon and explore opportunities and challenges presenting through the NDIS implementation and mental health sector reforms to bridge the gaps to deliver integrated and coordinated self-directed services through a strengthened health and social care interface.
Learning Objectives
The audience will have the opportunity to reflect upon the changing health and social care interface through the lens of prevention and promotion service delivery approaches that include intervening early (i.e., with people of any age) and early intervention (i.e., with young people).
This symposium is relevant to mental health in that achieving strengthened integrated and coordinated service delivery is foundational to achieving both the aspirations of reform and the delivery of effective prevention, promotion and psychosocial rehabilitation services that intervene early for people with mental health conditions.
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