Running head: MENTAL HEALTH POLICY 1

Student Name: Nicie Velancia Pinheiro

Title of Assignment: Mental Health Policy of Australia

Word Count: 1911

National Mental Health Policy of Australia

The National Mental Health Policy gives ‘a strategic framework to’ design plans and

actions, for synchronized government efforts to form mental health plans to improve the

delivery of mental health services. National health plans are formed to start out actions

required to achieve the objectives of the mental health policy ("The Fifth National Mental

Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017). In 1993, the first Mental Health Plan for five

years was launched. The ongoing fifth plan for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (2017-

2022), is built on the foundation instituted by all the previous mental health reforms

("Monitoring Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Reform: Fifth National Mental Health

and Suicide Prevention Plan, 2018", 2018).

The government intends to modify certain areas of mental health policy. This is done

by addressing the priority areas in the national mental health plan. The government has

initialized change in the health care system of Australia by setting up facilities with a new

concept of holistic care of mentally ill people. There also has been an impact on mental

health nursing practice due to this change.

Fifth Mental Health Plan

The fifth mental health plan consists of eight priority areas which are identified by

keeping in mind, the aims of the mental health policy to enhance the quality of care and

outcomes. The areas include integrated planning and service delivery, prevention of suicide,

coordination of support and treatment for persons with serious complicated mental

conditions, improvement in mental health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,

improvement of physical health and reduce early mortality of mentally ill people, reducing

discrimination and stigma, delivering safe and quality mental health care, ensuring that the

factors contributing to effective system performance and system improvement are in place

("The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017). Advisory
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committees have been instituted by the government for guidance pertaining to advise on

planning, investment, the system of recording, evaluation, and reporting the progress of the

fifth plan ("The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

The government supports linkage in planning and service delivery at the regional

level by working with the public and local bodies. This aims at a holistic approach to

patient’s health so as to meet their individual needs, thus achieving personalized care, support

and treatment ("The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017). The

government also aims at providing several different means to educate people about suicide

prevention and treatment for people who attempted suicide by implementing several

interventions like surveillance, media, training programs, evidence-based clinical

interventions, public information campaigns, promoting the use of mental health services, as

well as coordinating research, training and service with institutes or agencies. These

measures ensure knowledge and access to available services to people who are at high risk.

This also supports families, careers, and communities affected by suicide ("The Fifth

National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

Support needed by people with mental illness varies according to the nature of their

illness. Some require minimal clinical services, others, hospital-based support while some

may require community support. In Australia, the Government Department of Health, the

Primary Health Networks, as well as the state and territory government health departments

are responsible for the actions involved in this area. The government also plans to support

people who are not under the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Primary Health

Networks (PHNs) and Local Hospital Networks (LHNs) are to focus on coordinating

treatment with consumers. This will provide support for people with severe or complex

mental illness to enable them to live a productive life ("The Fifth National Mental Health and

Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities face many obstacles including

racism and discrimination while trying to obtain mental health services. Their cultural

viewpoints also affect their approach to receiving mental health support. Therefore, the

government is trying to build culturally adapted models of care. This involves among various

other measures, a plan to include persons of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’s

community as staff in multidisciplinary teams involved in mental health care ("The Fifth

National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

Additionally, mentally ill people are at a high risk of developing other physical

illnesses like cardiovascular, respiratory, and other chronic diseases. Thus, the government

has devised guidelines for health professionals to facilitate early detection and interventions.

("The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

Another objective of the plan is to bring awareness about the effect of stigma and

discrimination by implementing training programs, by reacting proactively to such behaviors,

and by empowering the people affected to talk about it ("The Fifth National Mental Health

and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

The ‘Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care’ has designed a

framework for ensuring safety and quality, specifically in mental health service delivery.

Available information about quality and safety will enable consumers to be a part of the

decisions about their care, support, and treatment. Therefore, the government encourages and

enhances the use of digital mental health platforms. The government develops and adapts

digital mental health services by taking into consideration the people who are unfamiliar with

new technologies ("The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan", 2017).

The Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council and its’ Chief Committees are

responsible for the proper implementation of the fifth mental health plan. The Council of

Australian Governments is ultimately accountable for its performance.

The impact of the Mental Health Policy on the health care system

The mental health policy emphasizes coordination and partnership of services. The

government must note that the outcomes of these changes in the system may not show

expected results (Ellis, Churruca & Braithwaite, 2017). Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS)

thinking is helpful for a better understanding of the difficulties inherent in the mental health

sector. It can also be utilized as a guide for all the future endeavors for improvement of care.

The characteristics of a CAS comprises of numerous subsystems which consist of active

agents like doctors, mental health providers, and patients. The second characteristic is the

interlinkage of agents who interrelate and influence each other leading to coevolving of

behaviors. The third characteristic is the gathering of the agents around an attractor or a

central driver and their behavior pattern is unpredictable. The fourth characteristic is the

emergence of behaviors in the system like interconnectivity at the local level which leads to

complicated rules, workplace hierarchies as well as certain cultural aspects (Ellis, Churruca &

Braithwaite, 2017).

Coordinated models of holistic care

‘Partners in recovery’ (PIR) is an initiative of the government of Australia to develop

more efficient and effective coordinated models of care for persons who are chronically ill.

The main role of the PIR is to coordinate care and support for mentally ill persons. It is

concerned with not only the mental health issues of this population, but also with social

connection, physical health, employment, education, and stable housing. In this; assessments

are carried out, multisector action plans are made and there is a coordination of services.

Thus, providing mentally ill patients with collaborative and holistic, person-centered care

(Brophy, Hodges, Halloran, Grigg & Swift, 2014).

Another example of government’s means to provide holistic care is the ‘Headspace

Program’ intended to provide primary care in mental health; social, educational and
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vocational participation; and in drug and alcohol use, for twelve to twenty years young

people (Ellis, Churruca & Braithwaite, 2017). A friendly ambiance and a responsive staff

make healthcare accessible at Headspace. The headspace holistic assessment tool is used to

evaluate all the areas of a young person’s life thus rendering effective and suitable service. It

also accommodates the needs of family and friends. The headspace center carries out a

number of activities to create awareness in the community about the facility and how to

access it (Rickwood et al., 2018).

One more aspect that is worth noting is that housing is a basic necessity for the

maintenance of physical and mental health. Treating a homeless person, and sending him/her

to live in the same circumstances which cause the illness, is unproductive (Parsell, ten Have,

Denton & Walter, 2018). In Australia, a permanent supportive housing scheme is integrated

with health care and has been approved for homeless people. Tenants from these facilities

are also provided with transport, access to medical practitioners and health care advice which

assist them to take care of their everyday health care needs (Parsell, ten Have, Denton &

Walter, 2018).

Government policy also incorporates new tools to reach out to people with mental

disorders like depression by authorizing the use of technology. Smartphone apps are

developed that are ideal for self-management of depression of less severity. One feature of

the digital platforms is their capacity to calculate responses according to the data entered and

‘activate emergency response systems’ if a certain threshold has reached. Thus, it is a means

of monitoring a patient in depression (Firth et al., 2017).

The impact of Mental Health Policy on nursing Practice in Australia

The mental health policy recognizes the significance of utilizing Recovery Focused

Care (RFC) by nurses in severe mental health care situations for the reduction of aggressive

behavior (Lim, Wynaden & Heslop, 2018). The use of RFC by nurses can help patients to
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identify and regulate their own behavior, thereby making them an instrumental part of their

own recovery (Lim, Wynaden & Heslop, 2018). RFC consists of skills in helpful

communication, respect, empathy, active listening, adaptability, and trust. As patients and

their cares have the best knowledge of their own experiences, they may be motivated to take

care of their mental health in collaboration with the health care team (Cleary, Lees, Molloy,

Escott & Sayers, 2017). For example, Mental Health Policy emphasizes on safety of the

aggressive patient and the least restrictive care. This is particularly challenging for nurses

because of the unpredictable nature of a restless person’s behavior. Therefore, in order to

refrain from restraining aggressive patients, interventions of all the levels in an organization

are required, together with training and education of nurses (Muir-Cochrane, O'Kane &

Oster, 2018).

Another strategy that has developed in nursing practice is the Trauma Informed Care.

Trauma Informed Care is a process that aims at promoting recovery and preventing

traumatization by creating conducive behaviors and an environment for change in

organizational functioning. The main component of Trauma Informed Care is to understand,

moderate and manage fears which lead to destructive reactions. This fosters a therapeutic

alliance between the nurse and the patient in mental health (Sweeney, Filson, Kennedy,

Collinson & Gillard, 2018). This, in turn, encourages the involvement of patients, with

complex mental ailments, in planning their own treatment and support (Bee, Brooks, Fraser

& Lovell, 2015).

Conclusion

The Mental Health Plan is set up as per the strategies of Mental Health Policy. It

comprises of eight priority areas to improve the overall health of the mentally ill people. This

has led to a complex adaptive system in Australia. The government has initialized facilities

such as ‘Partners in Recovery’ and the ‘Headspace program’ to provide a holistic health care
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system. It has also used modern digital platforms to reach out to this population. The Mental

Health Plan has influenced nursing practice in mental health settings. Mental health nurses

are required to change traditional ways of providing healthcare. Thus, nurses are required to

be well informed and updated to be competent in implementing the plans of the Mental

Health Policy.
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References

The Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan (2017). Retrieved from
http://www.coaghealthcouncil.gov.au/Portals/0/Fifth%20National%20Mental%20Hea
lth%20and%20Suicide%20Prevention%20Plan.pdf

Monitoring Mental Health and Suicide prevention reform: Fifth National Mental Health and
Suicide Prevention Plan, 2018. (2018). Retrieved from
http://www.coaghealthcouncil.gov.au/Portals/0/Fifth%20National%20Mental%20Hea
lth%20and%20Suicide%20Prevention%20Plan%202018%20Progress%20report.pdf

Brophy, L., Hodges, C., Halloran, K., Grigg, M., & Swift, M. (2014). Impact of care
coordination on Australia’s mental health service delivery system. Australian Health
Review, 38(4), 397. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AH13181

Parsell, C., ten Have, C., Denton, M., & Walter, Z. (2018). Self-management of health care:
multimethod study of using integrated health care and supportive housing to address
systematic barriers for people experiencing homelessness. Australian Health
Review, 42(3), 304, 307. doi: 10.1071/ah16277

Ellis, L., Churruca, K., & Braithwaite, J. (2017). Mental health services conceptualised as
complex adaptive systems: what can be learned?. International Journal Of Mental
Health Systems, 11(1), 2-4. doi: 10.1186/s13033-017-0150-6

Lim, E., Wynaden, D., & Heslop, K. (2018). Changing practice using recovery-focused care
in acute mental health settings to reduce aggression: A qualitative study. International
Journal Of Mental Health Nursing, 28(1). doi: 10.1111/inm.12524

Cleary, M., Lees, D., Molloy, L., Escott, P., & Sayers, J. (2017). Recovery-oriented Care and
Leadership in Mental Health Nursing. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 38(5), 458.
doi: 10.1080/01612840.2017.1314738

Muir-Cochrane, E., O'Kane, D., & Oster, C. (2018). Fear and blame in mental health nurses’
accounts of restrictive practices: Implications for the elimination of seclusion and
restraint. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 27(5), 1519. doi:
10.1111/inm.12451

Sweeney, A., Filson, B., Kennedy, A., Collinson, L., & Gillard, S. (2018). A paradigm shift:
relationships in trauma-informed mental health services. Bjpsych Advances, 24(05).
doi: 10.1192/bja.2018.29

Bee, P., Brooks, H., Fraser, C., & Lovell, K. (2015). Professional perspectives on service user
and carer involvement in mental health care planning: A qualitative
study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 52(12), 1834. doi:
10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015.07.008
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Rickwood, D., Paraskakis, M., Quin, D., Hobbs, N., Ryall, V., Trethowan, J., & McGorry, P.
(2018). Australia's innovation in youth mental health care: The headspace centre
model. Early Intervention In Psychiatry, 13(1). doi: 10.1111/eip.12740

Firth, J., Torous, J., Nicholas, J., Carney, R., Pratap, A., Rosenbaum, S., & Sarris, J. (2017).
The efficacy of smartphone-based mental health interventions for depressive
symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. World Psychiatry, 16(3),
296,297. doi: 10.1002/wps.20472