Mental Health Monthly Newsletter – September

Mental Health Monthly Newsletter – September

Foreword by Naveen Thomas

Clinical Services Director, Mental Health and Wellbeing Division 

For the past several months, our dedicated team within the Mental Health and Wellbeing Division has been immersed in the intricate task of implementing the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act of 2022, which came into effect on 1 September 2023.

I cannot emphasise enough the depth of my gratitude to each of you. Your steadfast efforts to ensure the seamless integration and implementation of this act demonstrates our shared commitment to providing exceptional treatment, care, and support to our valued consumers.

As we move forward, another milestone is just around the corner — the opening of the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre. Such accomplishments are made possible by the unwavering dedication of each member of our remarkable team.

Every day, you all showcase an exemplary blend of resilience, kindness, and commitment to assisting our consumers through their mental health journeys. Your efforts are more than commendable; they serve as an inspiration to many. With your continued compassion and empathy, I am confident we will further enhance our mental health service.

Together, let’s strive for a system where mental wellbeing is at the forefront and every consumer receives the unparalleled care they rightly deserve.

Naveen

Mental Health and Wellbeing Services – Interim Structure 

Following the integration of over 700 mental health staff into Western Health, Western Health’s newly formed Mental Health and Wellbeing Services Division has changed its operational structure.

To support functional spans of control within management roles, Grace Crowe Director, Integration Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Livia Cremona-Bellizia Director, Service Development and Reporting, will join Jolene, Naveen and Ryan as part of the MHWS divisional leadership team. This has resulted in reporting line changes for a small number of staff.

Asia Pacific Health Annual Congress – 12 Oct 

Grace Crowe, Livia Cremona-Bellizia 

Grace Crowe, Director, Integration Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Livia Cremona-Bellizia Director, Service Development and Reporting, will be presenting ‘Leading Mental Health Change, Why, How & What?’ at the 2023 Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM) Asia Pacific Annual Congress. The conference will be held from 11 to 13 October at the National Convention Centre, Canberra ACT.

Congratulations to Grace and Livia for being selected to present at this esteemed conference, and we wish them the best of luck with their presentation.

For more information on the conference and other speakers, you can view the program here: 2023 Congress program (achsm.org.au)

Image (left to right) Grace Crowe, Livia Cremona-Bellizia. 

Mental Health Monthly Newsletter – September

Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre 

Practical Completion 

The Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre is receiving the finishing touches and staff have recently begun moving into the building. Final works are ongoing to ensure the building is safe and sound in anticipation of our consumers moving in from 19 October.

Sincere thanks to all of the WH and NWMH capital, project and operational staff who have worked so hard to deliver this amazing building for our consumers and staff. Particular thanks goes to Susan Wardle, Executive Director Strategy and Partnerships for her executive sponsorship and leadership of this huge project.

Mock Move

On Thursday 21 September, Western Health’s Chief Operating Officer John Ferraro led the team in our clinical mock move.

The mock move allowed the team to run through what the clinical move day would look like and identify any issues that may occur on move day to ensure we are prepared. This promotes a safe and smooth move for consumers to their new beds in the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre.

The mock move took approximately 90 minutes, with learnings and questions from the day relayed to the project team to ensure these are implemented into the clinical move plan.

Quick Reference Guides 

As staff begin to move into the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre, several very helpful Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) have been uploaded to Westerly for your convenience.

You can find them here: ICT QRGs for Western Health Staff – Westerly Staff & Volunteers Hub (wh.org.au)

Arts Installation Complete 

Art installation throughout the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre is now complete! Arts Eleven pulled together an incredible team of 15 artists to bring colour and life into the space with a mix of hand painted and printed graphic murals, as well as print-based artwork to adorn the walls and ceilings of 28 unique spaces within the centre.

The links between art and health outcomes are well researched, with hospitals internationally and across Australia recognising the importance of art in the psychology of healing and wellbeing.

The art throughout the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre is focused on creating a ‘residential’ feel, rather than a clinical environment. Something that consumers, families, carers, and staff can enjoy.

These artworks depict the experiences and emotions of our consumers, and their individuality sets the space apart from other clinical areas within the hospital. We are incredibly proud of these pieces and hope you are too.

Health Information Management Update 

San Le – Senior Health Information Manager 

Our MHWS team of Health Information Managers (HIM) have been involved in several projects and changes over the last few months, including the Western Health transition, Cerner FirstNet implementation, Activity Based Funding, the Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre, and the CMI upgrade.

Activity Based Funding

The Department is reviewing current financial year data to inform testing and refinement of the proposed funding model for mental health. Our priority is to continue with good clinical documentation practices for accurate information for consumer safety and quality care. To ensure timely reporting of health information (within 24 hours) via CMI, please ensure paperwork is handed to admin teams once you have completed and signed your documentation.

There are five key collection elements that will have the biggest impact on the new funding model.

Feel free to contact your line Manager or one of our HIMs about the five key collection elements.

CMI Release 13

Please ensure all MHWA paperwork is provided to admin teams as soon as possible. Timely processing of Compulsory Treatment Order details in the CMI will now trigger a notification to IMHA as part of the opt-out model of access to non-legal advocacy services. Consumers must opt-out directly with IMHA.

Shared Folders

There has been no change to the shared folders, post-disaggregation. Please continue to save draft documents in the EPI folders and avoid saving documents to your desktop. Also, don’t forget to print, sign, and send completed clinical documentation for scanning to BOSSnet.

Please note: potential options for Western Health’s version of the shared folders for mental health are currently being reviewed with WH-I.T. We will keep you informed of any progress updates – watch this space!

The new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (MHWA) 

The new MHWA forms are now available for orders via FMIS or can be downloaded from the MHWA 2022 Handbook. A number of forms were also developed by the MHWS to support implementation.

• Supporting Key Decision-Making Principles and Safeguards: to promote the Mental Health and Wellbeing principles under the MHWA, this form can be completed on commencement of compulsory treatment or when a restrictive intervention is used.
• MHWA 142 Restrictive interventions observations continuation sheet: to enable documentation of continuous observations during use of restrictive interventions, this form can be used to document ongoing observations as a supplementary form to the original MHWA 142.

Clinical Documentation and Forms 

Current versions of Mental Health forms can be found on the WH Forms Database http://teams.wh.org.au/div/MedicalRecords/forms/Lists/Medical Records Forms/Form Category.aspx

Please contact a member of the MHWS HIM team if you would like to review and update an existing form, or if you are in the early stages of developing a new form.

Feel free to contact us at MWAMHS-HealthInformationManagers@mh.org.au should you have any queries or wish to discuss all things health information.

Western Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect

Department of Health 

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect initiative – a free service for family, carers and supporters of people with mental health and/or substance use issues – has officially launched!

Eight new regional Connect centres are now open to support the wellbeing of people caring for someone with mental ill health and substance use challenges. Each Connect centre has both a physical and online presence, providing support through a central hub as well as satellite locations, outreach, phone and online services, to help meet the diverse needs of local communities. You can read more about the initiative here.

The Western Metro Mental Health and Wellbeing Connect at Jesuit Social Services offers a range of supports including information, resources, counselling, individual support and group programs to those who care for others. Both telehealth and in-office appointments (from our temporary Sunshine location) are available, and we also have outreach capacity to meet participants in the community where they feel most comfortable.

Contact details are below, for WH staff to share with those who want to use the service. There’s no need for a referral.

Phone: 0429 564 269

Email: familycarerledcentrewesternmetro@jss.org.au

Website: https://jss.org.au/what-we-do/disability-mental-health-wellbeing/mental-health-and-wellbeing-connect-western-metro/

Hours:        Mon 9am – 5pm

Tues 9am – 9pm

Weds 9am – 5pm

Thurs 9am – 9pm

Fri 9am – 5pm

Sat 10am – 4pm

Outposts:

Whilst our Centre in Sunshine is underdevelopment, we have outposts set up in the Western communities below for those who’d prefer to connect face-to-face for the first time:

Local Connections – a social prescribing initiative

Jasmine Van Den Hurk – Manager, Transformation & Reform

Recommendation 15.4 of the Royal Commission recommends that the Victorian Government establish one social prescribing trial per region in the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals (Local Services).

Local Connections is a social prescribing initiative being trailled in the first six new Local Services.

• Frankston (Wellways)
• Latrobe (Neami)
• Benalla, Wangaratta and Mansfield (Wellways)
• Geelong Queenscliff (Barwon Health)
• Brimbank (cohealth)
• Whittlesea (Neami).

Social prescribing is a way for healthcare services to connect people with non-clinical, community-based activities to support health and wellbeing. Emerging evidence suggests social prescribing as an effective way to address some of the social determinants of health, in particular social exclusion and social support, to improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

The trials will run from 2023 to 2025, an evaluation of the trials will inform recommendations about the future of social prescribing in the reformed mental health and wellbeing system.

For more information, head to: Local Connections – a social prescribing initiative | health.vic.gov.au

VHA’s Mental Health Mentoring Program 2024

Applications are now open for the VHA’s Mental Health Mentoring Program in 2024. The program is open to team leaders and program managers employed in Local and Area Mental Health Services.

This program has been designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to undertake mentoring and coaching within their roles as team leaders and managers in mental health and wellbeing services.

Find out more about the program and how to apply: Victorian Healthcare Association (vha.org.au)

We ask that any interested staff have an initial discussion with their manager prior to expressing interest.

Department of Health Update

Katherine Whetton – Deputy Secretary, Mental Health and Wellbeing at Department of Health 

The commencement of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act is one of the foundational system changes recommended by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and will play a significant role in establishing a responsive and integrated system, putting our consumers at the centre.

As well as the Act, other transformative projects are also underway, including the Victorian Collaborative Centre for Mental Health and Wellbeing, which brings together lived experience leaders, clinicians, educators, and researchers. The Centre has already delivered a number of public forums and events, and with the recent appointment of its lead health service and academic partners, there’s more great developments to come.

The eight Interim Regional Bodies (IRB) have also been established, the first step towards integrated regional governance. The chairs and members will provide advice to the Department of Health on regional mental health and wellbeing needs and help to build foundations for the establishment of legislated Regional Mental Health and Wellbeing Boards next year. To view the list on interim board members, visit Members appointed to Interim Regional Bodies for Mental Health | health.vic.gov.au

The DoH are continuing work on several reform projects, including:

• Outcomes and Performance Framework
• Statewide Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Capital Plan
• Workforce Capability Framework, and
• The Jobs That Matter campaign, aimed at attracting domestic healthcare workers to pursue a career in Victoria’s Mental Health and Wellbeing System. More information can be found here: Mental health jobs | Victorian Government (www.vic.gov.au)

Hamilton Centre Scholarship applications for Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing (MHWB) workers to undertake the Graduate Certificate of Addictive Behaviours in 2024, close on 1 October. The course is designed to broaden knowledge and skills related to the theory and practice of responding to substance use disorders and other addictive behaviours. For more information visit their website: Hamilton Centre Scholarships for Victorian Mental Health and Wellbeing workers to undertake the Graduate Certificate of Addictive Behaviours in 2024 (turningpoint.org.au)

EMPOWIR

Employee Positive Workplace Issue Resolution (EMPOWIR) is an element of the Western Health Positive Workplace strategy. EMPOWIR is a tool designed to enable every employee and volunteer to access advice and achieve an ‘informal’ and ‘no blame’ resolution or outcome in the event they have been subjected to or have witnessed some type of inappropriate workplace behaviour or interaction.

For more information on EMPOWIR, the Positive Workplace Strategy, or to learn how to use EMPOWIR, click here.