Department of Health

Emergency departments and mental health care

Emergency departments provide treatment for people across a spectrum of mental health and behavioural problems, including people who:

  • are registered mental health patients
  • require general medical treatment but have a psychiatric comorbidity
  • are having their first psychiatric presentation, including drug-induced psychosis
  • present with a situational crisis
  • have drug and alcohol issues
  • need emergency mental health treatment.

There are principles of care, guidelines for service delivery as well as for triage and clinical care, for mental health care provided in emergency departments in Victorian health services.

Emergency departments - principles of care for people with a mental illness

Principles underpinning care of people with a mental illness in emergency departments.

Emergency departments - mental health service delivery guidelines

Guidelines for mental health service delivery in Victorian emergency departments.

Emergency departments and clinical care

Guidelines for minimum standards that a person with a mental illness can expect in Victorian emergency departments.

Emergency departments - mental health clinicians

There is specific funding for specialist mental health clinicians in Victorian emergency departments.

Reviewed 28 May 2015

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