Mental health practitioners facilitate timely access to services and provide a high standard of evidence-based assessment that meets the needs of people and their families or carers.
The mental health practitioner:
Contact
- Supports a positive and respectful experience of the service, creating an environment that sets the person at ease
- Clearly explains processes, service parameters and the constraints of confidentiality to the person and their support networks
- Gathers and collates information relevant to service access, taking into account issues related to safety, consent and confidentiality, including but not limited to
- possible migration and refugee history
- exposure to torture and trauma
- the impact of cultural adaptation, integration and marginalisation
- housing
- support networks
- the history of engagement with community supports or services
- recent stresses, losses or changes (for example, in family relationships and structure, financial circumstances, carer employment or other significant losses)
- Identifies the particular needs and responsibilities of people who are carers for others, particularly those caring for children and young people, in relation to: prioritising; their ability to attend the service; and meeting the identified support needs of dependents
- Provides information to the person and their support network about services and resources able to be offered including type, setting and timeframes
Entry to service
- Determines if the person is aware of any referral and its purpose
- Through seeking advice from senior staff when required, accurately assesses new referrals in a timely manner, applying service acceptance criteria, referring where necessary to appropriate services within or external to the mental health service system
- Collaborates with people to generate an initial recovery plan that addresses key risk issues
- Advocates for the person's and their family's or carer's needs with relevant services, including accommodation, health, education, family and community services, aged care providers and others
- Expresses to families and carers, within the bounds of confidentiality, an awareness of the impact of the person’s presentation on the family and community
- Where appropriate documents, records and communicates any assessment, brief case formulation and/or initial management plans in a clear summary for team members and the person and family or carers
- Conducts brief interventions at the initial contact where appropriate, for example, psycho-education and agreed safety strategies
- Where appropriate conducts a developmentally relevant risk assessment, taking into account mental state suicidality, self-harm, violence and risk of harm to others
- Recognises the effects of intoxication and withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs and facilitates or conducts appropriate screening or assessment when necessary
- Clearly documents the person’s legal status and takes this into account in individual care planning