Scale measures mental health needs

A new statewide triage scale will be used by all Victorian public mental health services.

‘Mental health services in Victoria are being re-developed in the context of the Government’s Because mental health matters: Victorian Mental Health Reform Strategy 2009–2019,’ said the Department of Health’s Mental Health, Drugs and Regions Executive Director Karleen Edwards.

‘Building clear, easy-to-access pathways to mental health care is central to the strategy.

‘Mental health triage is a key pathway.

‘It is the process for determining a person’s need for mental health services and the nature and urgency of the required response,’ Dr Edwards said.

‘The statewide triage scale tool promotes a more consistent and clinically-appropriate response to individuals seeking help for themselves, as well as carers and referrers seeking access to mental health services.

‘It will also improve communication and referral pathways between specialist mental health services and other parts of the mental health service system,’ Dr Edwards said.

Bendigo Health, in association with LearnPRN, delivered six highly-successful workshops to help mental health triage clinicians understand how to apply the new mental health triage scale and how to support this practice change across their organisations.

More than 100 triage clinicians attended the workshops which focused on training participants to train and support others to use the new scale.

‘The training covered key concepts in mental health triage, best practice tips and case studies and strategies for training and supporting colleagues during implementation of the mental health triage scale,’ said Bendigo Health senior psychiatric nurse consultant Tim Lenten.

The scale was implemented in early September 2010.