Safety and Quality in Victoria's Specialist Public Mental Health System

Service Standards

National Standards for Mental Health Services (2010)

The 2010 National Standards for Mental Health Services (the Standards) were endorsed by the Australian Health Ministers Conference in September 2010. They are a revision of the 1st National Standards for Mental Health Services published in 1996 (1996 Standards).

The Standards have a greater emphasis on recovery and have been developed to be implemented within a diverse range of mental health services – public, private and non government organisations, and where mental health care is delivered in community based mental health services and primary care.

The principles underpinning the Standards aim to assist mental health services to provide quality care that is recovery-focused, consumer and carer centric, integrated and evidenced based:

• Mental health services should promote optimal quality of life
• Services are delivered with the aim of facilitating sustained recovery
• Consumers should be involved, as far as possible, in all decisions of treatment and care, and their treatment and setting
• Consumers have the right to have a nominated carer involved in all aspects of care
• Role, needs, capacity and requirement of carers are recognised
• Participation of consumers and carers in development, planning, delivery and evaluation of mental health services
• Mental health treatment, care and support should be tailored to meet the specific needs of the consumer
• Mental health treatment, care and support should impose the least personal restrictions on rights and choices of the consumer.

The Standards emphasise desired outcomes for the mental health of consumers, carers and the wider community, and reflect the rights, dignity and empowerment of individuals. They inform consumers, carers, service providers and the wider community of expected standards of mental health services.

They provide a useful framework for service delivery and facilitate informed participation of consumers, carers and relevant others in service planning, delivery, evaluation and improvement.

National standards for mental health services 2010 (PDF 1126 KB)

Three national implementation guideline documents have been developed to accompany the Standards. These guidelines provide more detail to inform the implementation of the Standards, provide clear directions for mental health services on how the criteria of the Standards apply to different services.

Implementation guidelines for non-government community services (PDF 848 KB)

Implementation guidelines for private office based mental health practices (PDF 718 KB)

Implementation guidelines for public mental health services and private hospitals (PDF 796 KB)

Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring and reporting against the Standards are a commitment of the Fourth National Mental Health Plan. The development of more robust reporting arrangements by mental health services on the implementation of the Standards is anticipated to progress throughout 2011 – 2013.

Accreditation