CANTERBURY DHB QUALITY & PATIENT SAFETY COUNCIL

2003 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards

The 2003 New Zealand Health Innovation Awards Ceremony was held on the 12th May 2003 in Wellington.

Seamless Mental Health Service: Canterbury-based integration of acute inpatient mental health services and community care

General adult mental health at Canterbury District Health Board used to be divided into two quite separate services: community and inpatient.

An innovative integration plan is now providing a seamless service for clients, better relations between mental health teams and improved job satisfaction for workers.

The team setting up the project included a consumer advisor who, speaking on behalf of service users, gave valuable information on what works and what doesn't work for people using mental health services.

The community service provides non-residential assessment, treatment and support services to adult clients outside the hospital. These services may include acute services provided in a range of outpatient and day patient settings in the community.

The Acute Service is a 24-hour service providing for the acute psychiatric needs of the adult population (aged between 18 and 65 years). The service is provided on an inpatient basis. Individual clinical assessments and treatments are delivered in a range of programmes, including intensive care and acute care. Contact: Peter Abrams