The Integrated Mental Health Atlas of Brisbane North

Abstract

The aim of this Atlas is twofold; 1) to help providers and consumers to navigate the system, by improving their knowledge about the services available in the area; and 2) as a tool for evidence-informed planning, as it presents a critical analysis of the pattern of mental health care provided within the boundaries of the BN PHN. This Atlas uses a standard classification system, the "Description and Evaluation of Services and Directories in Europe for long-term care" model (DESDE-LTC), to map the services. The use of a common language has allowed us to compare the pattern of mental health care provided in Western Sydney with regions in Europe. These comparisons are useful for learning lessons from service and policy approaches taken in other countries. Data on services providing care for people with a lived experience of mental ill-health in Brisbane North was collected from mid-April to end of July. We received 18 on-line responses and an additional 16 face-to-face interviews with large mental health provider organisations. These were from a list of 69 organisations provided by the Metro North Brisbane Medical Local. The strengths in the mental health service system in Brisbane North, particularly with the addition of the PIR and ATAPS services, have been found to be: 1) An adequate number of acute care beds 2) A high degree of mobility for outpatient care 3) Existing service locations and catchments are relatively well aligned to geographic areas of higher population need, meaning that overall there is a good level of accessibility to those services. However there are major deficiencies or gaps in both the spectrum of care available and the capacity relative to population needs in Brisbane North. We have found four major gaps in the provision of services in the Brisbane North region: 1) Hospital sub-acute care 2) Non-hospital acute and sub-acute care 3) Acute and non-acute health care day-related 4) Low availability of day care centres related to employment.