From Repeated Crisis to Recovery: Gold Card Clinic Changing Women’s Mental Health Journeys
Tracks
Ballroom 2
| Tuesday, September 1, 2026 |
| 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM |
Overview
Emma Schubert, Open Minds
Three Key Learnings
1. Early, structured intervention following crisis presentations enables previously unrecognised distress to be identified and addressed
2. Cross-sector collaboration can reduce service gaps, strengthen early intervention, and deliver recovery-oriented, person-centred care
3. Brief, manualised interventions can produce meaningful clinical improvements while reducing reliance on acute care services
Speaker
Emma Schubert
Clinical Services Manager
Open Minds
From Repeated Crisis to Recovery: Gold Card Clinic Changing Women’s Mental Health Journeys
Abstract
Women frequently enter the mental health system through acute and primary care settings with complex, often under-recognised psychological distress, particularly in relation to personality disorders. These early presentations commonly seen in emergency and community mental health services are characterised by fragmented care, repeated service use, and unmet needs, rendering much of women’s distress invisible within existing systems.
Lismore Medicare Mental Health Centre (LMMHC) implemented the Gold Card Clinic (GCC) as an integrated care pathway to support individuals presenting with symptoms related to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It facilitates structured step-down referrals from Mental-Health-Emergency-Care (MHEC) team and Acute-Care-Services (ACS) team of Local Health District (LHD) to the LMMHC, strengthening continuity of care following crisis presentations. Data also shows other common comorbid diagnoses in this cohort such as ASD/ADHD and Bipolar Affective Disorder. A majority of referrals were female (61.8%), highlighting the gendered nature of service access.
Clients received four manualised brief intervention sessions based on the Project-Air model. Since implementation we have supported 47 women with BPD symptoms. Data demonstrate timely access, with 91.5% receiving an appointment within seven days, supporting improved transition from acute to community care. The majority of clients (55.3.6%, n=26) have successfully completed all four sessions. These clients demonstrated a significant reduction in suicidality and BPD symptoms, measured through Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale and Borderline Symptoms Checklist 23 respectively. In addition, among female clients, the model reduced emergency department utilisation by 3.3 days per person per year.
These findings highlight several key learnings for improving women’s mental health care pathways. First, early, structured intervention following crisis presentations enables previously unrecognised distress to be identified and addressed. Second, cross-sector collaboration can reduce service gaps, strengthen early intervention, and deliver recovery-oriented, person-centred care. Third, brief, manualised interventions can produce meaningful clinical improvements while reducing reliance on acute care services.
Lismore Medicare Mental Health Centre (LMMHC) implemented the Gold Card Clinic (GCC) as an integrated care pathway to support individuals presenting with symptoms related to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It facilitates structured step-down referrals from Mental-Health-Emergency-Care (MHEC) team and Acute-Care-Services (ACS) team of Local Health District (LHD) to the LMMHC, strengthening continuity of care following crisis presentations. Data also shows other common comorbid diagnoses in this cohort such as ASD/ADHD and Bipolar Affective Disorder. A majority of referrals were female (61.8%), highlighting the gendered nature of service access.
Clients received four manualised brief intervention sessions based on the Project-Air model. Since implementation we have supported 47 women with BPD symptoms. Data demonstrate timely access, with 91.5% receiving an appointment within seven days, supporting improved transition from acute to community care. The majority of clients (55.3.6%, n=26) have successfully completed all four sessions. These clients demonstrated a significant reduction in suicidality and BPD symptoms, measured through Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale and Borderline Symptoms Checklist 23 respectively. In addition, among female clients, the model reduced emergency department utilisation by 3.3 days per person per year.
These findings highlight several key learnings for improving women’s mental health care pathways. First, early, structured intervention following crisis presentations enables previously unrecognised distress to be identified and addressed. Second, cross-sector collaboration can reduce service gaps, strengthen early intervention, and deliver recovery-oriented, person-centred care. Third, brief, manualised interventions can produce meaningful clinical improvements while reducing reliance on acute care services.
Biography
Emma is a Registered Psychologist and Clinical Services Manager. She began her career working in a drop-in centre for street based sex workers in Kings Cross, worked at the NSW Rape Crisis Centre and then led a team at Headspace Penrith for 5 years. She then had a 4-year stint in Out of Home Care including working for an ACCO. She now overseas clinical work at Medicare Mental Health Centres in Lismore, Coffs Harbour and Kempsey. Emma is passionate about accessible mental health care and supporting early career professionals. She is an advocate for work/life balance and a keen yogi.
