Shared Care Mental Health & Drug Health Clinical Coordinator
CSGPN’s Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Shared Care program has been running since 21 March 2011. This project provides patients with care co-ordination between hospital services and their GP; this ensures that patients who require ongoing care continue to receive appropriate care and do not slip between services.

This project:
Improves communication and referral pathways between GPs and Area Health (Hospital) Services;
Increases the number of physical health assessments of patients leaving Mental Health and Drug Health Services; and
Increases the number of GPs prescribing for the treatment of opiate dependence

We also aim to develop sustainable effective, efficient and professional relationships to improve a long term team based approach to patient care.

The Shared Care Clinical Coordinator [SCCC] is available to:
assist GPs in completing drug & alcohol and mental health assessments for their patients
provide information and advice on prescribing for the treatment of addictions and services available

Patients are referred to the program from community mental health, drug health and from GPs. The inclusion criteria require:
the patients to be stable either with regard to their mental health or drug use
patients from community mental health are patients who have a mental health diagnosis but no longer require case management
patients from community drug health are patients who have maintained stability with opiate treatment programs and are receiving medication from community pharmacies

Patients who do not have a GP will be assisted in finding a GP in their area. The patients who are transferred to the Shared Care Program can be reviewed by specialist services yearly or sooner if required.

To date the Shared Care project has received 33 referrals in total.
Camperdown Mental Health: 11 referrals
Canterbury Mental Health: 8 referrals
The Royal Prince Alfred Drug Health Service 11 referrals
Concord Mental Health Hospital: 1 referral
Marrickville community mental health: 1 referral
GP: 1 referral.

The referrals from mental health have been patients who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorders. Patients referred by Drug Health services have been patients who are currently prescribed medications such as methadone, buprenorphine and suboxone. They can also be complicated by co existing conditions such as alcohol dependence, learning disabilities or physical illness.

Each patient’s care is individually planned to suit the patient, carers and care providers. So far three patients have progressed from the initial transition phase to GP care. Due to the needs of the patients this process takes time to establish a rapport, trust and acceptance of change. Patients commonly have had the same case manager for over 10 years so this process needs to respect this and allow time. So far the feedback has been very positive from both the patients and their families.

This project is funded and evaluated by NSW Health till March 2012.

If you would like to refer a patient or discuss any matter related to the Shared Care project please contact:
Helen Golightly
hgolightly@csgpn.com.au
Mobile: 0420 518 515
Office: 8752 4913