Mental health

Emergency services

Level 1
No level 1 service. Please refer to a higher level.

Level 2
No level 2 service. Please refer to a higher level.

Level 3
Emergency capacity through assessment, referral and management by GPs and/ or medical professional= Direct communication with the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (24/7 telephone line)

Level 4;
As for Level 3 plus: Capable of providing short- term emergency mental health care for low to high risk/complexity mental health patients (across the age spectrum) who present to an emergency service and are triaged as having a mental health problem/disorder associated with their current presentation Provides emergency mental health care 24/7 Provided predominantly by general health clinicians within a general hospital. The local mental health service (may be community or hospital- based) provides a consultation liaison service to the emergency department as required Service provision typically includes: assessment and brief treatment of acute mental health problems and illnesses; and stabilisation of emergencies before onward referral or retrieval by medical practitioners and/ or other qualified staff

Level 4;

As for Level 3 plus:

Capable of providing short- term emergency mental health care for low to high risk/complexity mental health patients (across the age spectrum) who present to an emergency service and are triaged as having a mental health problem/disorder associated with their current presentation
Provides emergency mental health care 24/7
Provided predominantly by general health clinicians within a general hospital. The local mental health service (may be community or hospital- based) provides a consultation liaison service to the emergency department as required
Service provision typically includes: assessment and brief treatment of acute mental health problems and illnesses; and stabilisation of emergencies before onward referral or retrieval by medical practitioners and/ or other qualified staff

Level 5
As for Level 4 plus: Delivered on-site with a Level 5 or Level 6 acute inpatient mental health service and provides initial triage, treatment and definitive care for the majority of emergency presentations before retrieval by medical practitioners and/ or other qualified staff Triage is conducted by general health clinicians of the emergency department and further mental health assessments/interventions are then conducted by mental health clinicians who are assigned to the emergency department Mental health clinicians are stationed within the emergency department at least during business hours If there is no emergency department available on- site, triage is conducted by mental health clinicians to stabilise the emergency before onward referral or admission to a mental health bed

Level 5

As for Level 4 plus:

Delivered on-site with a Level 5 or Level 6 acute inpatient mental health service and provides initial triage, treatment and definitive care for the majority of emergency presentations before retrieval by medical practitioners and/ or other qualified staff
Triage is conducted by general health clinicians of the emergency department and further mental health assessments/interventions are then conducted by mental health clinicians who are assigned to the emergency department
Mental health clinicians are stationed within the emergency department at least during business hours
If there is no emergency department available on- site, triage is conducted by mental health clinicians to stabilise the emergency before onward referral or admission to a mental health bed

Level 6
As for Level 5 plus: A designated mental health area within the emergency department, but this does not necessarily have designated mental health beds Is an authorised mental health service under the Mental Health Act May be delivered by emergency department- based Acute Care Teams (or their equivalent) May provide short-stay medical inpatient beds and mental health clinicians may provide the direct care of mental health patients admitted to these beds (as required/ negotiated) May provide a psychiatric emergency care centre

Level 6

As for Level 5 plus:

A designated mental health area within the emergency department, but this does not necessarily have designated mental health beds
Is an authorised mental health service under the Mental Health Act
May be delivered by emergency department- based Acute Care Teams (or their equivalent)
May provide short-stay medical inpatient beds and mental health clinicians may provide the direct care of mental health patients admitted to these beds (as required/ negotiated)
May provide a psychiatric emergency care centre

Inpatient

Level 1
No level 1 service. Please refer to a higher level.

Level 2
Capable of providing limited short-term or intermittent inpatient mental health care to low risk/complexity voluntary mental health patients Provides general healthcare and some limited mental health care 24/7 Delivered predominantly by a team of general health clinicians within a facility that does not have dedicated mental health staff (on- site) or beds Service provision typically includes: assessment, brief interventions and monitoring; patient and carer education and information; documented case review; consultation liaison with higher level mental health services; and referral, where appropriate Services are provided in a culturally appropriate way

Level 2

Capable of providing limited short-term or intermittent inpatient mental health care to low risk/complexity voluntary mental health patients
Provides general healthcare and some limited mental health care 24/7
Delivered predominantly by a team of general health clinicians within a facility that does not have dedicated mental health staff (on- site) or beds
Service provision typically includes: assessment, brief interventions and monitoring; patient and carer education and information; documented case review; consultation liaison with higher level mental health services; and referral, where appropriate
Services are provided in a culturally appropriate way

Level 3
As for Level 2 plus: Provides general health care and mental health care 24/7 Delivered predominantly by general and mental health professionals (on-site) within a general medical facility that has a limited number of dedicated mental health beds or may operate as a mental health special care suite/ area

Level 3

As for Level 2 plus:

Provides general health care and mental health care 24/7
Delivered predominantly by general and mental health professionals (on-site) within a general medical facility that has a limited number of dedicated mental health beds or may operate as a mental health special care suite/ area

Level 4;
As for Level 3 plus: Capable of providing short to medium-term and intermittent inpatient mental health care to low and moderate risk/complexity voluntary mental health patients Patients older than 14 years may access adult services where clinically and developmentally appropriate Delivered predominantly by mental health professionals within a dedicated mental health hospital or a general hospital that has a dedicated mental health acute inpatient unit Service provision typically includes some group programs; primary and secondary prevention programs

Level 4;

As for Level 3 plus:

Capable of providing short to medium-term and intermittent inpatient mental health care to low and moderate risk/complexity voluntary mental health patients
Patients older than 14 years may access adult services where clinically and developmentally appropriate
Delivered predominantly by mental health professionals within a dedicated mental health hospital or a general hospital that has a dedicated mental health acute inpatient unit
Service provision typically includes some group programs; primary and secondary prevention programs

Level 5
As for Level 4 plus: Is an authorised mental health service under the Mental Health Act Capable of providing short to medium-term and intermittent inpatient mental health care to low, moderate and high risk/ complexity voluntary and involuntary mental health patients This service provides mental health care 24/7 Delivered predominantly by a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals (psychiatrists, nurses, allied health professionals) within a dedicated mental health hospital or a general hospital that has a dedicated mental health acute inpatient unit Service provision typically includes: multidisciplinary assessment and targeted interventions by mental health professionals; patient and carer education and information; documented weekly case review; group programs; extensive primary and secondary prevention programs; consultation liaison with higher and lower level mental health services; and referral, where appropriate Limited consultation liaison services to general health wards

Level 5

As for Level 4 plus:

Is an authorised mental health service under the Mental Health Act
Capable of providing short to medium-term and intermittent inpatient mental health care to low, moderate and high risk/ complexity voluntary and involuntary mental health patients
This service provides mental health care 24/7
Delivered predominantly by a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals (psychiatrists, nurses, allied health professionals) within a dedicated mental health hospital or a general hospital that has a dedicated mental health acute inpatient unit
Service provision typically includes: multidisciplinary assessment and targeted interventions by mental health professionals; patient and carer education and information; documented weekly case review; group programs; extensive primary and secondary prevention programs; consultation liaison with higher and lower level mental health services; and referral, where appropriate
Limited consultation liaison services to general health wards

Level 6
As for Level 5 plus: Capable of providing short to medium-term and intermittent inpatient mental health care to voluntary and involuntary mental health patients who present with the highest level of risk and complexity Patient group accessing this level of service may be a population with special care needs (including forensic) Patient group may demonstrate the most extreme comorbidities and/or indicators of treatment resistance This service demonstrates specialist expertise in the delivery of mental health services to a patient group that cannot be safely and effectively cared for in any other level of service Psychiatric consultation liaison services available to general health wards Delivered by a highly specialised, comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals May include intensive mental health care services Medical services are provided on-site or are in close proximity to provide a rapid response at all times Teaching and research role

Level 6

As for Level 5 plus:

Capable of providing short to medium-term and intermittent inpatient mental health care to voluntary and involuntary mental health patients who present with the highest level of risk and complexity
Patient group accessing this level of service may be a population with special care needs (including forensic)
Patient group may demonstrate the most extreme comorbidities and/or indicators of treatment resistance
This service demonstrates specialist expertise in the delivery of mental health services to a patient group that cannot be safely and effectively cared for in any other level of service
Psychiatric consultation liaison services available to general health wards
Delivered by a highly specialised, comprehensive, multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals
May include intensive mental health care services
Medical services are provided on-site or are in close proximity to provide a rapid response at all times
Teaching and research role