Published on 5 April 2023
There are now less than 90 days until the 1 July mental health disaggregation, which sees Western Health becoming a designated mental health service. So, I’d like to take this opportunity to share some milestones and messages from the Mental Health Transition and Integration project team.
From 1 July, Western Health will be on our way to becoming one of the biggest mental health services in Melbourne, when Midwest Area Mental Health Service and components of the Aged Persons Mental Health Program (part of NorthWestern Mental Health) and Mercy Mental Health and Wellbeing Services within the City of Maribyrnong transition to being a part of Western Health.
This is a significant and exciting change arising from the findings of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and the proposal to provide a more accessible, responsive and well-resourced mental health service delivery for Victorians in north and western metropolitan Melbourne.
We are establishing strong links with other mental health and wellbeing service providers in the west so that consumers, carers and families experience high quality, safe and person-centred care with the best outcomes possible.
The project team
Director Transition and Integration Paula Stephenson has built an energetic and experienced team since she joined Western Health last October and they’ve been busy working on the two key streams of clinical services and support services that are working to seamlessly onboard more than 450 new staff members from NorthWestern Mental Health. The first stream involves working to bring NorthWestern Mental Health and Mercy Mental Health services into operational alignment for clinical service delivery at Western Health. The support services stream focuses on areas such as digital health, logistics, payroll, fleet management, statutory reporting requirements, and community and engagement with staff, consumers and other key stakeholders.
Visit Westerly to learn more about team members and their areas of focus.
Upcoming meet and greets with NorthWestern Mental Health and Mercy Mental Health staff
On 17 April and 2 May, I will be joined by Paula Stephenson, Director Transition and Integration and Ryan Dube, Director of Nursing Mental Health and Wellbeing for meet and greet sessions. Mental health staff transitioning from NorthWestern Mental Health and Mercy Mental Health interested in working with us will get the chance to hear more about Western Health and have the opportunity to ask any questions about the transition and integration of mental health and wellbeing services.
See below for the schedule.
Exact locations to be announced shortly. Please visit the Mental Health Transition and Integration section on Westerly for more updates.
Monday 17 April 2023
| Service | Time | Street Address | Location |
| Western Inpatient Unit (WIPU) Consultation and Liaison Service Emergency Department visit | 8.30am- 9.00am | Footscray Hospital | WIPU |
| Meet and Greet with Mental Health teams | 9.00am- 9.30am | Footscray Hospital | TBC
|
| Community Team – Central
HOPE Team (Hospital Outreach Post Suicidal Engagement) Western Aged Psychiatry Assessment and Treatment Team (APATT) |
10.00- 10.45am | 4A Devonshire Road Sunshine (Harvester Clinic) | CT Central
HOPE APATT |
| Meet and Greet with Mental Health teams | 10.45am -11.30am | 4A Devonshire Road Sunshine (Harvester Clinic) |
TBC
|
| Emergency Department
Sunshine Adult Acute Psychiatric Unit (SAAPU) |
12.00pm – 12.30pm | Sunshine Hospital | SAAPU |
| Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit (AMHRU) | 12.30pm -1.00pm | Sunshine Hospital | AMHRU |
| Emergency Mental Health (EMH), Police and Clinician Emergency Response (PACER), and Consultant Liaison (CL)
Perinatal and Child and Adolescent Mental Health |
1.00pm – 1.30pm | Sunshine Hospital | EMH, MHaPS and CL
|
| Sunshine Aged Persons Mental Health (IPU) | 1.30pm-2.00pm | Sunshine Hospital | IPU |
| Women’s Prevention and Recovery Centre (Women’s PARC) | 3.00-3.30pm | 176 Furlong Road St Albans | Women’s PARC |
Tuesday 2 May from 2pm
| Service | Time | Address | Location |
| Community Team – Outer | 2-2.30pm | 195-209 Barries Road Melton | CT Outer |
| Burnside Prevention and Recovery Care Service (PARC) | 3.15-3.45pm | 54 Burnside Street Deer Park | PARC |
| St Albans Community Care Unit (CCU) | 4.15-4.45pm | 3/38 Evergreen Avenue Albanvale | CCU |
Launch of The Hamilton Centre – new state-wide service supporting integrated care for people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use or addiction
In a previous update of the mental health transition and integration project last December, I shared that Western Health’s Drug Health Services was successfully appointed as a partner provider of the Hamilton Centre, a new state-wide service supporting integrated care for people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use or addiction.
On 5 April at Turning Point’s Richmond head office, the Hon Gabrielle Williams MP, Minister for Mental Health, gave an address officially launching the centre, named after Professor Margaret Hamilton, a pioneer for advancement in addiction treatment.
As expert providers in addiction medicine, Western Health’s Drug Health Services will support the Hamilton Centre Clinical Network to develop an innovative program of clinical, research, education and training streams to work towards best practice in integrated care in Victoria.
Working together with key stakeholders including people with lived and living experience, the centre will help build the capability of clinicians within Area Mental Health and Wellbeing Services in delivering integrated care in line with recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System. In line with phased funding from the Department of Health, this service is expected to grow and will extend in the coming years to local mental health and wellbeing services, primary health, community health and community AOD services state-wide.
