Guideline for the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Emergency Department Hubs

The Department of Health has developed a revised guideline for the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (MHAOD) Emergency Department (ED) Hubs.

It reflects recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and learnings from existing hubs already in operation. The MHAOD ED hubs already in operation are:

• Monash Health (Monash Medical Centre Clayton)
• Peninsula Health (Frankston)
• Western Health (Sunshine)
• Barwon Health (University Hospital Geelong)
• St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (Fitzroy)
• Melbourne Health (Royal Melbourne Hospital).

The guideline aims to support a high-quality, consistent approach and level of care across MHAOD ED Hubs.

The guideline sets out the overarching policy context and intended service delivery model for the MHAOD ED hubs. It will support health services to develop a local model of care, setting out how they will operationalise and deliver the service in their local environment. Health services should refer to this guideline to inform the development and alignment of their model of care. The model of care may be informed by:

• place-based context
• priorities that are specific to the local community
• infrastructure
• and workforce.

It also sets an expectation that people with lived and living experience of mental health and AOD challenges should be central in the establishment of the MHAOD ED hubs and local models of care.

This guideline is for health services that either already operate or are in the process of operationalising a MHAOD ED Hub. It is complemented by other service guidance and specifications set out by the department.