When paramedic Tessa Williamson is called in to help someone in an acute mental health crisis, she knows the patient will likely spend hours in the emergency department waiting rooms before being treated.
Key points:
-
The correspondent program combines paramedics with mental health nurses to offer personalized treatment to people suffering from a mental health crisis at home
-
The Queensland ambulance service receives more than 60,000 calls from people with psychological problems each year
-
Headspace Youth Mental Health Charity says there is not enough early intervention treatment available
The bright lights in the hospital, along with the constant flow of sick and injured people, can be an overwhelming and triggering experience for people in psychological distress.
“Obviously, it’s a very stimulating environment,” Ms. Williamson said.
“There are potentially many other factors influencing, and [mental health sufferers] they are withdrawing from the people they know and their support system. “
A new home program offers them treatment for people in mental health crisis.
“Instead of sitting in an ED and waiting for a period of time … we can sit in their own environment, with their own family support … and do the assessment at home in about 90 minutes,” he said.
Mental health training in the workplace
Each year, Queensland’s ambulance service receives more than 60,000 mental health-related calls, a figure that rises 20 percent annually.
Rockhampton Mental Health Clinic Barb Costello is part of the correspondent team, which works alongside Ms Williamson.
Ms Costello said treating people in crisis was significantly different from treating someone for a physical injury.
In her experience, having access to a mental health nurse trained to answer these types of emergency calls was crucial.
“Sitting next to the paramedics gives me the opportunity to teach them some skill sets,” Ms. Costello said.
“[Such as teaching them] How do we talk to people who are going through a crisis?
Paramedic Tessa Williamson says the new program is reducing pressure on the hospital system, as 80% of patients do not have to go to the emergency department. (ABC Capricornia: Rachel McGhee)
“How can we [teach] mental health first aid [paramedics]?
“Generally, [we are] giving them a set of skills to expand not just mental health [call outs]but any other job they go to where someone might feel a little overwhelmed. “
Ms Costello said people who call triple 0 in psychological distress could be experiencing a series of crises.
“People don’t necessarily want to go to ED, but they do want to get help,” he said.
“Whether it’s around homelessness, difficulties in getting a home, relationships, breakups or job loss, these are things that push people to a point of crisis where they then feel they have suicidal thoughts.”
The program minimizes ED presentations
Ms Williamson said the program not only provides better patient care at home, but also relieves pressure on the hospital system.
The Queensland Ambulance Service receives 60,000 mental health-related calls a year. (ABC Capricornia: Rachel McGhee)
“When people are not being taken to the hospital for their mental health conditions … it means teams can go see patients with code one and code two jobs, which are urgent jobs,” he said. .
The program was tested in southeast Queensland in 2019, and there are now joint mental health response teams at 12 locations across the state.
Rebekah Deighton, director of community programs and allied health at Queensland Central Hospital and the Health Service, said that in the three months the correspondent program has operated in central Queensland, 80% of patients treated have not had to go to the emergency department.
“What we were seeing was an increase in people with psychological problems, who didn’t really have to be seen in the hospital, but there was nowhere else to go,” Deighton said.
“Having a crew that has a mental health doctor with the paramedic means we have a better skill set of people responding to that call.
“They are able to ask the right questions, get the right answers, so that the right care can be offered.”
Rebekah Deighton of Queensland Health says that with a dedicated mental health team, patients can receive proper care in a relaxed environment. (ABC Capricornia: Rachel McGhee)
More sectoral support is needed
Queensland CEO of Headspace Central, Michelle Coats, said there was a huge demand for mental health support.
He said people asking for triple-0 help are those who have nowhere else to turn.
“Without early intervention … we see more people falling through the cracks and then waiting until something really triggers them.
Michelle Coats said those who are calling the triple-0 during the mental health crisis have fallen through the cracks. (ABC Capricornia: Rachel McGhee)
Ms Coats said that while more needs to be done to provide early intervention mental health support, the correspondent program is helping to ensure that those who have reached the point of crisis can access the care they need.
“Having that extra resource within the emergency response team is fantastic,” he said.
“They will have someone who can immediately identify what is the best and appropriate care for that person, and hopefully that will be reflected in better long-term care for that person and their mental health.”
Find more local news
Posted 21 hours, 21 hours ago, Monday, July 11, 2022 at 10:04 PM, updated 19 hours, 19 hours ago, Monday, July 11, 2022 at 11:55 PM