Getting in early: a multi-phase approach to community engagement and mental health training.

Abstract

Grampians region Victoria prides itself on its ability to form alliances and functional working relationships. It is a large region covering 48,000km² consisting of regional centers and remote communities. This project is an outcome of those alliances. Phase one of the project was to improve the capacity of Home and Community Care (HACC) “Living at Home” assessment staff to identify and respond effectively to clients with possible mental health problems. The training was focused on early intervention and the use of the K-10 tool. Phase two was to deliver 8 training sessions to community support workers in the Grampians region, which delivered an introduction to mental health, mental health problems and pathways for referral. Phase three developed and delivered an e-learning package which focused on material developed in phase two. The success of phase one ensured organizational support to develop and deliver phases two and three. The training was delivered by mental health clinicians, with the project team comprising of workers from Aged Persons Mental Health – Ballarat Health Services, Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Service, Ballarat City Council, Grampians Region Department of Health, and Grampians Region Home and Community Care Program. Alliances and working relationships between all HACC agencies and the Aged Person’s Mental Health Team were enhanced as a consequence of the project. Evaluation of the training highlighted the outcomes of: increased knowledge of mental health and mental disorders; the benefits of early identification and intervention for people with possible mental health concerns; the use of the K-10 scale; appropriate referral pathways; knowledge extended to other members of their immediate community; mental health became de-mystified and de-stigmatised amongst HACC workers. The key outcome was acknowledging that Mental Health Is Everyone’s Business.