PROBLEMS with mental health services for young people in Swan Hill are set to be addressed through reforms to the way organisations work together.
Launched today, the Swan Hill Youth Mental Health Reform Action Plan 2014-2016 addresses issues of information sharing and treatment access for young people with complex mental health needs in the local area.
The plan came out of a youth mental health report from Loddon Mallee Murray Medicare Local (LMMML) that outlined a high number of young people were presenting to the emergency department for mental health support.
The report made eight recommendations on how services to young people could be improved, with the reform plan an outcome of these proposals.
A group of 13 key stakeholders, lead by LMMML, joined forces to implement the reports recommendations and assess ways youth mental health services could be improved in Swan Hill.
“On the ground agencies have been contending with a really high level of demand and are now going to be doing so in a more coordinated way, each contributing to a more streamlined and organised approach to youth mental health services,” CEO Matt Jones said.
“For anyone requiring youth mental health services, there would be an ability to access services… so it won’t mean the duplication and fragmentation that tends to occur when multiple organisations are providing services in the community.”
With LMMML to disband in June next year, Mr Jones said facilitation of the plan could be transitioned to the new primary health network.
“I think the opportunity of picking up and ensuring that this work continues would be recognised as an important part of the new organisation that is going to come into place,” he said.
Mallee Family Care has been among the organisations on the executive committee putting the plan together.
General manager Michael Adamson said the organisation had previously been involved in a pilot program looking at improving the ways agencies work together.
However, a lack of funding prevented it from getting off the ground.
He hoped with this plan changes made would be “for the better”.
“There have certainly been issues [with youth mental health], it is very prevalent in the community,” he said.
“One of the key things we wanted to do is once young people present, we want to make sure they are getting the support down the line.
“I think there have been some resources for this area, but we are looking for other resources.
“I hope it will be an opportunity for more money to come into the sector around youth mental health.”
The detail of the plan will be developed between now and December, with the system to be implemented early next year.
