Content
Mental health initiative
related Information
- » Background
- » Implementation of an emergency department mental health triage tool
- » Mental health emergency care resources
Background
The Mental Health Emergency Care Interface project was the first major initiative of the Emergency Care Community of Practice (EC CoP) involving 41 teams across Australia. The teams of mental health and emergency department clinicians worked together to improve the care of mental health presentations to emergency departments. The project focussed on:
- Emergency department triage of mental health presentations
- Medical assessment or clearance for mental health presentations to the emergency department with low medical risk
- Sedation of acute agitation or behavioural emergencies.
Email emergencycare@nhmrc.gov.au for more details.
Implementation of an emergency department mental health triage tool
A specific mental health triage tool for emergency departments was developed by NICS, commissioned by the Victorian Department of Human Services.
For more information visit the Victorian Department of Human Services statewide emergency program.
Mental health emergency care resources
Australia and New Zealand
- » New Zealand Guideline Group: Assessment and Management of People at Risk of Suicide
- » South Australian Government mental health unit
- » University of Adelaide treatment guidelines for mental health
International
Maine Medical Center (United States) have published their results on improving patient safety through a mulitidisciplinary effort: Reducing length of stay of emergency department patients requiring psychiatric admission (328KB PDF)
- » Practice guidelines developed by the American Psychiatric Association
- » Suicide prevention strategies: a systematic review (Mann et al. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2005; 294: 2064-2074)