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Acute Care (ACT) Services is the single point of entry to the mental health service in the Mackay Health District and facilitates access to timely and appropriate mental health care. Services are provided by multidisciplinary teams who receive referrals from a range of sources, including the Mental Health Hotline, Emergency Departments, Police and Ambulance Services, other community teams, GPs and the general community. The service provides Intake and Assessment services and provides information and advice to the community, general practitioners and other key referral agencies. Intakes are triaged and actioned by Intake officers, with urgent cases receiving immediate attention. The service also assesses all clients who are referred via the Mental Health Act 2000 usually through a Justice Examination Order or an Emergency Examination Order. Clients may be seen either at the Community-based Health Services located at Mackay and/or the Whitsundays, Bowen Hospital, Moranbah Hospital or at the Mackay Base Hospital Emergency Department.
The Acute Care Team in Mackay is a multi-disciplinary team of seven people – all with extensive mental health experience.
Hours of operation 8.00 am to 10.00 pm 7 days a week, support outside of these hours is provided via the Emergency Department at the Mackay Base Hospital.
Case Management (Continuing Care) Services utilise a case management approach to their work with consumers who require ongoing treatment and support. Consumers accepted for treatment are assigned a designated case manager from our multi-disciplinary team who will work with them and their family and carers to identify triggers, develop coping and support strategies, and coordinate and/or provide a range of specialist assessments and therapeutic interventions within a comprehensive Recovery and Relapse Plan. The case manager will liaise with and arrange regular, comprehensive care plan reviews with a range of primary care, private, government and non-government services to ensure that the consumer has the best available and most appropriate mental health care.
Our case management currently consists of 17 mental health professionals from a number of disciplines including an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer.
Medical Clinics. A significant proportion of clients are seen at clinics for psychiatric consultations with medical staff who provide specialist outpatient care to the region. Community based Mental Health medical staff perform a range of duties from diagnosis and assessment, treatment, and prescription of medications and ongoing monitoring of clients.
The Mobile Intensive Rehabilitation Team is an important component of the Mackay Integrated Mental Health Service and forms part of the range of services available to people who experience serious and enduring mental health problems or who are diagnosed as being in the stage of early psychosis. It is a targeted service providing five-day a week intensive, community based rehabilitation interventions to people who experience serious psychiatric illness and disability.
The target group for the service is those people who:
This service is a small specialised team of three clinical case managers (two psychiatric nurses and one social worker) who work intensively with clients living with severe and enduring mental illness. The case managers have a smaller caseload and the length of time as a client of the team depends on client need. Clients can only be referred to this team from within the service.
Older Persons’ Mental Health Services (OPMHS). The older person’s mental health team currently consists of three mental health workers, with provision for expansion of one additional specialist to commence during this financial year. The service is for individuals who are 65 years and over (over 45 for Indigenous peoples), who experience a mental health disorder complicating an underlying age related condition, or a mental health disorder occurring for the first time. They also treat disorders related to ageing that are complicating a pre-existing mental health disorder. Consultation/liaison and education is also a major component of this role.
Forensic Mental Health Services (FMHS) combine a range of services for people with mental illness who are involved with, or at risk of becoming involved with the criminal justice system. This service works in partnership with community mental health services to identify support and provide specialist risk assessment and treatment. Inpatient services are also provided for acute assessment and treatment and non-acute extended treatment and rehabilitation for people with a serious mental illness. Our Forensic team comprises of a District Forensic Liaison Officer and a Court Liaison Officer. There is also a District Child and Youth Forensic Officer providing services to Youth Justice.
The Dual Diagnosis Coordinator is responsible for the addressing the significant prevalence and impact of alcohol and other drug use amongst consumers of the Mental Health and Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Services. One position sits directly within the ATOD’s team with the other situated with the Mental Health arm. These positions work collaboratively to improve and enhance dual diagnosis capability across the services within the Health Service District.
This clinic based at the Community Health Centre enables clients to have their injectable medications administered on a prescribed basis. Clients are also referred on to the Wellness Clinic which monitors their overall health status with referral out to external specialists if/as required. A dietician/nutritionist is also available to assist in a healthy lifestyle approach.
The Inpatient Mental Health Service is used to describe a range of acute and non-acute services provided across the age spectrum.
The Mackay Mental Health Unit is the only acute mental health facility within the Mackay Health Service District and is an Authorised Mental Health Service.
The Inpatient Unit at Mackay Base hospital consists of 18 beds: 4 High Dependency beds and 14 Low Dependency beds, and accepts patients from across the Mackay District, including the Outreach areas. The 14-bed Low Dependency Area comprises single, double and four-bedded rooms and includes a patient area incorporating dining, lounge and a quiet lounge area. The unit can accommodate the special needs of mothers with babies, and indigenous people who require a family member to board with them. The Low Dependency Area is an open ward.
The 4 bed High Dependency Unit provides a higher level of care for persons who may be acutely unwell, a danger to themselves or others, or require a low stimulus environment.
With the Mackay Hospital Redevelopment project underway, the Inpatient facility will be expanded to a total of 30 beds incorporating: a 4 bed high dependency unit, 1 speciality needs or ‘swing’ bed (high dependency, geriatric, etc) and 25 low dependency beds. Each room will have its own ensuite, and with guidelines set by strict building standards, the new unit (due to be completed in 2011/12) will offer state-of-the-art facilities to our inpatients and our staff.
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