The Commission has a strong commitment to promote, support and encourage safety and quality in the provision of mental health services. In 2011, the Mental Health Team was established to ensure a greater integrated focus across existing Commission programs.
The Commission established a Mental Health Advisory Group in 2014 to provide expert advice on our work. Group members include representatives from national consumer and carer organisations, professional colleges, academics and clinicians and administrators from all mental health sectors.
The mental health team works with colleagues across the range of Commission programs including National Standards, Recognition and Response to Clinical Deterioration and Medication Safety.
Key initiatives the mental health team are involved in include:
The Commission developed an Accreditation Workbook for Mental Health Services which maps version 1 of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards with the National Standards for Mental Health Services.
The Commission undertook a Scoping Study in collaboration with the National Mental Health Commission on the implementation of both the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and the National Standards for Mental Health Services.
The Commission has included actions in draft version 2 of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards to support improvements in the safety and quality of health services delivered to people with lived experience of mental health issues.
The Commission is developing a National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for recognising and responding to deterioration in a person’s mental state.
The Commission has also produced resources to support mental health services in recognising and responding to physiological deterioration in acute mental health settings.
To extend evidence of medication safety in mental health settings, the Commission appointed the University of South Australia to undertake the scoping study Medication safety in mental health. The study focused on medication safety issues in mental health in hospital and community settings, and was informed by a national and international literature review and consultations with key stakeholders in Australia.
The study found that existing medication safety practices and strategies may not be in widespread use across mental health services in Australia. The report recommended that strategies proven to be successful in improving medication safety in general health, be adapted and implemented in mental health settings. The report also identified areas where further work is indicated to improve medication safety in mental health settings.
If you would like further information about any of the Commission’s work in mental health, please email Andrew.Moors@safetyandquality.gov.au
Emergency mental health contact details