Evidence-Based, Consumer Led Innovative Co-Design Through Healthy North Coast’s Mental Health Reform Project
Tracks
Bluewater I - In-Person
| Thursday, November 7, 2024 |
| 2:20 PM - 2:40 PM |
| Bluewater I |
Overview
Aimee McNeill, Healthy North Coast
Speaker
Aimee McNeill
Director Integrated Wellbeing
Healthy North Coast
Evidence-Based, Consumer Led Innovative Co-Design Through Healthy North Coast’s Mental Health Reform Project
Abstract
Healthy North Coast undertook the Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Alcohol and other Drugs Service Reform Project in 2022, with the aim of improving health outcomes for our community.
We needed to do things differently to meet the mental health needs of our region based on national indicators in data and consumer outcomes data from commissioning activity.
Healthy North Coast used a participatory design approach to plan and design mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drugs services, by engaging with:
• People using services now or in the past
• Carers
• Service providers
• Other organisations engaged in advocacy and research.
The ideas generated through a series of ideas generation workshops guided the solutions design workshops, which focused on communicating synthesised ideas, best-practice examples of similar models and funding specifications, to guide the specific solutions that Healthy North Coast would seek to commission.
Participants guided the design of the integrated service models for Primary Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Psychosocial Support Services. All programs are being delivered through a hub and spoke service models, which are grounded in care coordination and collaboration, and have a focus on responding to whole of health needs, including addressing the social and cultural determinants of health.
Involving those who would be interacting with primary health services, as a consumer, carer, provider or referrer means that the solutions are focused on whole of health and this led to the design of an integrated service model, that considers sustainability, is more agile and responsive, ensuring services are efficient and effective at meeting the needs of the community through available funding.
As a commitment to continuous improvement, Healthy North Coast are undertaking a formative and outcomes evaluation, where learnings will guide future service reform and commissioning at Healthy North Coast.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Consumers and people with lived and living experience play a valuable role in service design.
2. Data and evidence are key to helping focus participants on what we collectively need to change to support improved outcomes.
3. Workforce challenges are a big issue across many regions. The Hub and Spoke model supports capability building and innovative ways to address service gaps and better support consumers.
We needed to do things differently to meet the mental health needs of our region based on national indicators in data and consumer outcomes data from commissioning activity.
Healthy North Coast used a participatory design approach to plan and design mental health, suicide prevention and alcohol and other drugs services, by engaging with:
• People using services now or in the past
• Carers
• Service providers
• Other organisations engaged in advocacy and research.
The ideas generated through a series of ideas generation workshops guided the solutions design workshops, which focused on communicating synthesised ideas, best-practice examples of similar models and funding specifications, to guide the specific solutions that Healthy North Coast would seek to commission.
Participants guided the design of the integrated service models for Primary Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Psychosocial Support Services. All programs are being delivered through a hub and spoke service models, which are grounded in care coordination and collaboration, and have a focus on responding to whole of health needs, including addressing the social and cultural determinants of health.
Involving those who would be interacting with primary health services, as a consumer, carer, provider or referrer means that the solutions are focused on whole of health and this led to the design of an integrated service model, that considers sustainability, is more agile and responsive, ensuring services are efficient and effective at meeting the needs of the community through available funding.
As a commitment to continuous improvement, Healthy North Coast are undertaking a formative and outcomes evaluation, where learnings will guide future service reform and commissioning at Healthy North Coast.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Consumers and people with lived and living experience play a valuable role in service design.
2. Data and evidence are key to helping focus participants on what we collectively need to change to support improved outcomes.
3. Workforce challenges are a big issue across many regions. The Hub and Spoke model supports capability building and innovative ways to address service gaps and better support consumers.
Biography
Aimee McNeill is the Director Integrated Wellbeing and has been working with Healthy North Coast (North Coast PHN) for over 10 years.
In recent years Aimee has led procurement and commissioning activities to establish mental health and suicide prevention services across the North Coast, including the establishment of four Safe Haven sites to support Northern Rivers communities affected by catastrophic flood events in 2022.
Aimee believes early intervention and prevention are two areas of focus to improve health outcomes and has completed post graduate studies in Suicidology through Griffith University to enhance knowledge.
