Specialist Mental Health Intellectual Disability Service (SMHIDS)

The Specialist Mental Health Intellectual Disability Service (SMHIDS) provides consultation and liaison services the Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Service (MHAODS) is available to Queensland Health's Hospital and Health Services. This is a statewide service that assists with the care of people with an intellectual disability who also have potential or diagnosed mental health disorders to achieve better health outcomes.

SMHIDS visits all parts of Queensland and will assess the person in their home or a suitable local setting, where possible. Telehealth is available when clinically appropriate.

Services available from SMHIDS

  • Comprehensive assessment
  • Clinical interventions
  • Working with families and carers
  • Local provider consultation/liaison
  • Comprehensive assessment and management advice
  • Clinical teaching and training
  • Clinical research
  • Complex case reviews
  • Capacity building
  • Medication review

Eligibility criteria

Referrals must meet all of the following criteria:

  • adult (over 18 years of age)
  • client of a public mental health service
  • have an intellectual developmental disorder with possible or diagnosed mental health disorders.

They must also meet one (or more) of the following criteria:

  • present with a complex clinical or care issue
  • currently subject to restrictive practices
  • at risk of prolonged hospitalisation
  • subject to a forensic order (disability)
  • subject to a forensic order (mental health).

How to refer

If you would like to refer to SMHIDS please complete the SMHIDS referral form (DOC 159 kB) and email it to smhidsinfo@health.qld.gov.au.

Research and innovation projects

Project ECHO

The SMHIDS Project ECHO Intellectual Disability and Mental Illness series is an online interprofessional community of practice meeting that aims to support individuals in their work via case-based learning. Project ECHO is an opportunity to improve outcomes for people with intellectual disability, dual disability, families, carers and communities.

This series also provides better access to an interconnected network of providers available to people working in remote and rural areas.

Each session of the series is one hour in duration each month on the second Wednesday of each month from 12 noon to 1 pm.

The session consists of a 10 minute learning session on an intellectual disability and mental illness-related topic, followed by a case presentation and discussion.

How to register

To register email smhidsinfo@health.qld.gov.au.

You can use the SMHIDS Project ECHO case presentation form (DOCX 892 kB) to propose a case.

Previous sessions

  • DateTopic
    11 December 2024TBC
    13 November 2024TBC
    9 October 2024TBC
    11 September 2024TBC
    7 August 2024Towards health outcomes for individuals with FASD
    10 July 2024Approaching regression in Intellectual and Developmental Disability
    12 June 2024Nothing About Us, Without Us: A rights-based approach to intellectual disability
    8 May 2024Behavioural Phenotypes - Part 4
    10 April 2024Why do mitochondria look like trilobites?
    13 March 2024Autism spectrum disorder: identifying risky sexual behaviour: Part 2
    14 February 2024FASD - Towards healthy outcomes for individuals with FASD
  • DateTopic
    13 December 2023FASD - Towards healthy outcomes for individuals with FASD
    15 November 2023Autism spectrum disorder: identifying risky sexual behavour: Part 1
    11 October 2023Epigenetics and autism
    13 September 2023Highlights of community of practice forum
    9 August 2023FASD - Towards healthy outcomes for individuals with FASD
    12 July 2023Inborn errors of metabolism
    8 March 2023Behavioural phenotypes: Part 3
    12 April 2023Personality disorder
    10 May 2023Autism spectrum disorder: Part 2
    14 June 2023FASD - towards healthy outcomes: Part 2
    8 February 2023Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) - towards healthy outcomes: Part 1
    11 January 2023Comprehensive functional analysis: Part 2 - Components of a behavioural description
  • DateTopic
    14 December 2022 COVID infection and vaccination and Clozapine toxicity
    14 November 2022 Recent developments in genetics and other stuff in autism
    12 October 2022 Autism in intellectual disability
    7 September 2022 Behavioural phenotypes - Part 2
    3 August 2022 FASD - key points, when working with individuals with FASD or suspected FASD
    6 July 2022 Comprehensive functional analysis: Part 1 - A brief overview
    1 June 2022 Behaviour management on a busy ward: What's the function?
    4 May 2022 Intellectual disability in older persons
    6 April 2022 ADHD in intellectual disability
    9 March 2022 FASD - why is diagnosis important to us?
    9 February 2022 Behavioural phenotypes: Part 1

Research and reports

Our clinical team

Our team is comprised of:

  • Team Leader (Psychologist) Tamara Smith
  • Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Paul White
  • Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Jennifer Galstuch-Leon
  • Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Yasmine Medunic
  • Clinical Nurse Consultant Andrew Webster
  • Clinical Nurse Consultant Alan White
  • Psychiatry Registrar Dr Calina Ouliaris

Contact us

Phone: 07 3271 8803
Fax: 07 3413 5821
Email: smhidsinfo@health.qld.gov.au

Physical address:
The Park – Centre for Mental Health
Corner Ellerton Drive and Wolston Park Road
Wacol QLD 4076

Postal address:
The Park – Centre for Mental Health
Locked Bag 500
Archerfield QLD 4108

Last updated: 23 June 2025