Outreach program
The outreach program provides mental health treatment and therapeutic support to enable individuals to recover, develop coping strategies and stay well.
The program seeks to minimise the disruption that can occur in a persons day-to-day living by reducing the length and frequency of hospital stays and providing community care as an alternative to an inpatient admission.
The outreach service provides clinical assessment, and therapeutic skills and support for people seriously affected by psychiatric illness, it is an alternative to in-patient treatment.
The program:
- Assists with reintegration back into the community after hospitalisation
- Provides psychiatric clinical care in the most functional and least restrictive environment
- Supports patients to resume life functioning and reduce the risk of relapse.
The aim is to provide clinical care, which assists patients to:
- Adopt effective coping strategies
- Improve their functioning
- Learn about and manage their illness
- Provide carer information and education
- Recognise the precipitants to relapse.
The program supports specialist programs in:
- Addictions
- Eating disorders
- Mindfulness and DBT approaches
- Mother and baby
- Older age psychiatry
- Treatment of anxiety disorders and depression using cognitive behaviour techniques
- Young people.
Step 1
Referrals can be made from an Accredited Psychiatrist from The Melbourne Clinic, Northpark Private Hospital and The Victoria Clinic. These referrals can be faxed directly to 03 9421 0739 marked to the attention of the Outreach Program.
Psychiatrists can request a referral form directly on 03 9420 9244.
Step 2
The Outreach Program will contact the patient directly to arrange an initial assessment.
A permanent Outreach Clinician will then be allocated to the patient after the initial assessment.
Both Outreach Team Leaders hold a duty role and are available for consultation with treating psychiatrists and GP’s between 9.00am to 5.00pm if the patient or referring psychiatrist requires further information or support from the program.
Quarterly reviews will be sent to the treating psychiatrist.
Step 3
Following patient's discharge from the program, a discharge summary will be sent to the referrer.
The following will exclude a patient from outreach support:
- Patients who are not clinically safe to be treated in the community
- Patients who live in circumstances where patient and/or clinician safety may be jeopardised
- Patients who do not consent to community based treatment
- Patients who are unable to participate actively in their care
- Patients who are consistently unable to keep appointments
- Patients who have no health fund cover
- Patients whom no longer see their psychiatrist.
Download:
Outreach program brochure