Evaluating the implementation of a mental health referral service "Connect to Wellbeing": a quality improvement approach

There is increasing demand for mental health services to be accessible to diverse populations in flexible, yet, cost-effective ways. This article presents the findings from a study that evaluated the process of implementing Connect to Wellbeing (CTW), a new mental health intake, assessment and referral service in regional Australia, to determine how well it improved access to services, and to identify potential measures that could be used to evaluate value for money. The study used a hybrid study design to conduct a process evaluation to better understand: the process of implementing CTW; and the barriers and factors enabling implementation of CTW. In addition, to better understand how to measure the cost-effectiveness of such services, the hybrid study design included an assessment of potential outcome measures suitable for ascertaining both the effectiveness of CTW in client health outcomes, and conducting a value for money analysis. The process evaluation found evidence that by improving processes, and removing waitlists CTW had created an opportunity to broadened the scope and type of psychological services offered which improved accessibility. The assessment of potential outcome measures provided insight into suitable measures for future evaluation into service effectiveness, client health outcomes and value for money

Community-based models of care facilitating the recovery of people living with persistent and complex mental health needs: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Objective: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of community-based models of care (MoCs) supporting the recovery of individuals who experience persistent and complex mental health needs. Method: We conducted a systematic review and narrative synthesis of MoC studies reporting clinical, functional, or personal recovery from October 2016 to October 2021. Sources were Medline, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. Studies were grouped according to MoC features. The narrative synthesis was led by our researchers with lived experience. Results: Beneficial MoCs ranged from well-established to novel and updated models and those explicitly addressing recovery goals and incorporating peer support: goal-focused; integrated community treatment; intensive case management; partners in recovery care coordination; rehabilitation and recovery-focused; social and community connection-focused; supported accommodation; and vocational support. None of our diverse group of MoCs supporting recovery warranted a rating of best practice. Established MoCs, such as intensive case management, are promising practices regarding clinical and functional recovery, with potential for enhancements to support personal recovery. Emerging practice models that support personal and functional recovery are those where consumer goals and priorities are central. Conclusion: Evidence for established models of care shows that there is a need for inevitable evolution and adaptation. Considering the high importance of effective MoCs for people experiencing persistent and complex mental health needs, further attention to service innovation and research is required. Greater emphasis on the inclusion of lived and living experience in the design, delivery, implementation, and research of MoCs is needed, to enhance MOCs' relevance for achieving individual consumer recovery outcomes

Developing fit-for-purpose funding models for rural settings: Lessons from the evaluation of a step-up/step-down service in regional Australia

IntroductionSub-acute mental health community services provide a bridging service between hospital and community care. There is limited understanding of the local factors that influence success, and of the funding implications of delivering services in rural areas.MethodsThis paper draws from quantitative and qualitative evaluation data from a regional Western Australian service to explore these issues.ResultsConsumers satisfaction with the service was high and, overall, admission to the service resulted in positive outcomes. High re-admission rates may be linked to limited community support services following discharge.DiscussionOur results suggest that outcomes may be enhanced by implementing flexible approaches that address the resource limitations of the rural context, and that the current funding model for sub-acute mental health services in rural Australian may not be fit for purpose. More needs to be understood about how these services can be better integrated with existing support services, and how they can be better funded

How do occupational therapy curricula align with priorities identified by occupational therapists to prepare graduates for working in mental health?

All professional preparation programs need to ensure that university curricula remain reflective of current practice, and also prepare graduates for practice in the future. Upon formation, the Australia and New Zealand Occupational Therapy Mental Health Academics (ANZOTMHA) network identified that there was insufficient or poorly organised information available about how well current occupational therapy curricula prepared students for practice in the field of mental health. One of the first priorities established by ANZOTMHA was to undertake a program of research to examine this issue. The aim of this report is to summarise and integrate the outcomes of two inter-related studies to explore the extent to which current occupational therapy university curricula in Australia and New Zealand match educational priorities identified by practising occupational therapists in mental health

Community-based models of care facilitating the recovery of people living with persistent and complex mental health needs: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of community-based models of care (MoCs) supporting the recovery of individuals who experience persistent and complex mental health needs.MethodWe conducted a systematic review and narrative synthesis of MoC studies reporting clinical, functional, or personal recovery from October 2016 to October 2021. Sources were Medline, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. Studies were grouped according to MoC features. The narrative synthesis was led by our researchers with lived experience.ResultsBeneficial MoCs ranged from well-established to novel and updated models and those explicitly addressing recovery goals and incorporating peer support: goal-focused; integrated community treatment; intensive case management; partners in recovery care coordination; rehabilitation and recovery-focused; social and community connection-focused; supported accommodation; and vocational support. None of our diverse group of MoCs supporting recovery warranted a rating of best practice. Established MoCs, such as intensive case management, are promising practices regarding clinical and functional recovery, with potential for enhancements to support personal recovery. Emerging practice models that support personal and functional recovery are those where consumer goals and priorities are central.ConclusionEvidence for established models of care shows that there is a need for inevitable evolution and adaptation. Considering the high importance of effective MoCs for people experiencing persistent and complex mental health needs, further attention to service innovation and research is required. Greater emphasis on the inclusion of lived and living experience in the design, delivery, implementation, and research of MoCs is needed, to enhance MOCs' relevance for achieving individual consumer recovery outcomes

Bridging identity chasms: Occupational therapy academics' reflections on the journey towards scholarship

The performative context of higher education demands that practice-oriented academics shift their priorities from preparing practitioners for the profession, towards ‘productive’ scholarship. We present narratives from occupational therapy academics at the end of a year-long journey through an action research project focussed on academic identity and scholarly growth. Our analysis captures subtle and striking shifts in being and becoming, doing and belonging. The findings, re-presented as an adapted Hero’s Journey, also reveal the powerful impacts on identity and practice that are enabled when academics have the opportunity to create spaces for scholarship that are experienced as caring, collaborative and collegial

Community-based social interventions for people with severe mental illness: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of recent evidence.

People living with severe mental illness (SMI) are one of the most marginalized groups in society. Interventions which aim to improve their social and economic participation are of crucial importance to clinicians, policy-makers and people with SMI themselves. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on social interventions for people with SMI published since 2016 and collated our findings through narrative synthesis. We found an encouragingly large amount of research in this field, and 72 papers met our inclusion criteria. Over half reported on the effectiveness of interventions delivered at the service level (supported accommodation, education or employment), while the remainder targeted individuals directly (community participation, family interventions, peer-led/supported interventions, social skills training). We identified good evidence for the Housing First model of supported accommodation, for the Individual Placement and Support model of supported employment, and for family psychoeducation, with the caveat that a range of models are nonetheless required to meet the varied housing, employment and family-related needs of individuals. Our findings also highlighted the importance of contextual factors and the need to make local adaptations when "importing" interventions from elsewhere. We found that augmentation strategies to enhance the effectiveness of social interventions (particularly supported employment and social skills training) by addressing cognitive impairments did not lead to transferable "real life" skills despite improvements in cognitive function. We also identified an emerging evidence base for peer-led/supported interventions, recovery colleges and other interventions to support community participation. We concluded that social interventions have considerable benefits but are arguably the most complex in the mental health field, and require multi-level stakeholder commitment and investment for successful implementation

Supporting students with mental health issues and acquired brain injury: University teaching staff perspectives

Students experiencing disability face many barriers in university education, which are often poorly understood by university teaching staff. This is more likely to be the case regarding students with non-apparent conditions, such as mental health issues and acquired brain injury. This study employed an online survey, supplemented by semi-structured interviews, to investigate the views and actions of teaching staff at one university in relation to supporting these two student groups: those with mental health issues and those with acquired brain injury. Survey responses indicated that university staff generally held positive views about both student groups, but that there was inadequate staff training to assist staff in knowing how to support these groups. Staff most commonly supported students by directly negotiating adjustments with students, maintaining regular contact, and using the university’s disability services. The results of this study support previous calls for improved staff training and also draw attention to the competing demands on staff of supporting student learning whilst managing other institutional forces at play in universities