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Tasmania's successful mental health emergency response service will expand to the North West of the State from next week as part of a two-year trial designed to boost access to timely, appropriate and evidence-based mental health care in the region.
The is an extension of a similar emergency response model that has been so successful in the South at providing compassionate community-based mental health care, helping people remain at home, and avoiding preventable Emergency Department attendances.
Mental Health Emergency Response Service – North West will take learnings from the southern model and will provide a customised model of care that is uniquely tailored to meet the needs of the North West community, taking into account the region’s geography and demographics.
Since commencement on 24 January 2022, the Mental Health Emergency Response – South has responded to 2843 people with 75 per cent of these people being supported to remain in the community.
As part of the new Mental Health Emergency Response Service – North West service, mental health clinicians will provide a rapid response to mental health crises in the community, working in close partnership with Ambulance Tasmania, Tasmania Police and colleagues from Statewide Mental Health Services and the Emergency Department of the North West Regional Hospital.
Clinicians based in Burnie and eventually Devonport will respond to crises received by Ambulance Tasmania and Tasmania Police in the surrounding areas 10 hours per day, 7 days a week. A clinical nurse educator will provide ongoing education to both organisations to support responses to mental health matters.
A new Statewide Coordinator position has also been created to support the mental health emergency response service operations in the South and North West.
The first stage of this new service commences on Monday 27 November operating out of Burnie, with the Devonport arm expected to start in early 2024.
