Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project
Abstract Aim Primary mental health care services play an important role in prevention and early intervention efforts to reduce the prevalence and impact of mental health problems amongst young people. This paper aimed to (1) investigate whether mental health services commissioned by Australia’s 31 P...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-021-00440-8 |
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doaj-3ae7837d20034e4fb9d2774ed8a748d02021-02-23T14:56:48ZengBMCInternational Journal of Mental Health Systems1752-44582021-02-0115111310.1186/s13033-021-00440-8Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site ProjectSanne Oostermeijer0Bridget Bassilios1Angela Nicholas2Michelle Williamson3Anna Machlin4Meredith Harris5Philip Burgess6Jane Pirkis7The University of MelbourneThe University of MelbourneThe University of MelbourneThe University of MelbourneThe University of MelbourneThe University of QueenslandThe University of QueenslandThe University of MelbourneAbstract Aim Primary mental health care services play an important role in prevention and early intervention efforts to reduce the prevalence and impact of mental health problems amongst young people. This paper aimed to (1) investigate whether mental health services commissioned by Australia’s 31 Primary Health Networks provided accessible care and increasingly reached children and youth across Australia, and (2) identify the challenges of, and facilitating factors to, implementing services for youth with, or at risk of, severe mental illness (i.e., youth enhanced services) in 10 PHNs which acted as mental health reform leaders (i.e., Lead Sites). Methods We used mixed methods, sourcing data from: a national minimum data set that captured information on consumers and the services they received via all 31 PHNs from 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2017; consultations with Lead Site staff and their regional stakeholders; and observational data from two Lead Site meetings. Results Many children and youth receiving services were male and up to 10% were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander young people. The majority of young people came from areas of greater disadvantage. For most children and youth receiving services their diagnosis was unknown, or they did not have a formal diagnosis. Both child and youth service uptake showed a modest increase over time. Six key themes emerged around the implementation of youth enhanced services: service access and gaps, workforce and expertise, funding and guidance, integrated and flexible service models, service promotion, and data collection, access and sharing. Conclusions Early findings suggest that PHN-commissioned services provide accessible care and increasingly reach children and youth. Learnings from stakeholders indicate that innovative and flexible service models in response to local youth mental health needs may be a key to success.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-021-00440-8Mental healthHealth care reformService uptakeService implementationAdolescencePrimary care |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sanne Oostermeijer Bridget Bassilios Angela Nicholas Michelle Williamson Anna Machlin Meredith Harris Philip Burgess Jane Pirkis |
spellingShingle |
Sanne Oostermeijer Bridget Bassilios Angela Nicholas Michelle Williamson Anna Machlin Meredith Harris Philip Burgess Jane Pirkis Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project International Journal of Mental Health Systems Mental health Health care reform Service uptake Service implementation Adolescence Primary care |
author_facet |
Sanne Oostermeijer Bridget Bassilios Angela Nicholas Michelle Williamson Anna Machlin Meredith Harris Philip Burgess Jane Pirkis |
author_sort |
Sanne Oostermeijer |
title |
Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project |
title_short |
Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project |
title_full |
Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project |
title_fullStr |
Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project |
title_full_unstemmed |
Implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the Australian Primary Health Network Lead Site Project |
title_sort |
implementing child and youth mental health services: early lessons from the australian primary health network lead site project |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
International Journal of Mental Health Systems |
issn |
1752-4458 |
publishDate |
2021-02-01 |
description |
Abstract Aim Primary mental health care services play an important role in prevention and early intervention efforts to reduce the prevalence and impact of mental health problems amongst young people. This paper aimed to (1) investigate whether mental health services commissioned by Australia’s 31 Primary Health Networks provided accessible care and increasingly reached children and youth across Australia, and (2) identify the challenges of, and facilitating factors to, implementing services for youth with, or at risk of, severe mental illness (i.e., youth enhanced services) in 10 PHNs which acted as mental health reform leaders (i.e., Lead Sites). Methods We used mixed methods, sourcing data from: a national minimum data set that captured information on consumers and the services they received via all 31 PHNs from 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2017; consultations with Lead Site staff and their regional stakeholders; and observational data from two Lead Site meetings. Results Many children and youth receiving services were male and up to 10% were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander young people. The majority of young people came from areas of greater disadvantage. For most children and youth receiving services their diagnosis was unknown, or they did not have a formal diagnosis. Both child and youth service uptake showed a modest increase over time. Six key themes emerged around the implementation of youth enhanced services: service access and gaps, workforce and expertise, funding and guidance, integrated and flexible service models, service promotion, and data collection, access and sharing. Conclusions Early findings suggest that PHN-commissioned services provide accessible care and increasingly reach children and youth. Learnings from stakeholders indicate that innovative and flexible service models in response to local youth mental health needs may be a key to success. |
topic |
Mental health Health care reform Service uptake Service implementation Adolescence Primary care |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-021-00440-8 |
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