Community Mental Health Status Assessments: Role of Mental Health Clinicians Policy
MP 0099/18 - Community Mental Health Status Assessments: Role of Mental Health Clinicians Policy (pdf 129KB)
Applicable to: This Policy is applicable to the Child and Adolescent Health Service, East Metropolitan Health Service, North Metropolitan Health Service, South Metropolitan Health Service and WA Country Health Service.
Description: The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that all mental health assessments undertaken in the community are conducted by mental health clinicians where it is safe to do so. Where it is unsafe for mental health clinicians to conduct a community mental health assessment, the Health Service Provider must provide all required assistance to the police, the ambulance service, Transport Officers, the patient and the associated family/carers to ensure that the required mental health assessment is made by a mental health clinician.
This Policy also addresses recommendations made by the WA State Coroner to the Department of Health (the Department) that community mental health status assessments should be conducted by mental health clinicians.
This Policy is a mandatory requirement under the Mental Health Policy Framework pursuant to section 26(2)(a) and (c) of the Health Services Act 2016.
This Policy supersedes OD 0644/16 Community Mental Health Welfare Checks: Role of Mental Health Clinicians.
This policy must be read in conjunction with the following:
- MP 0086/18 Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Policy
- MP 0074/17 Clinical Care of People Who May Be Suicidal Policy
- MP 0101/18 Clinical Care of People With Mental Health Problems Who May Be At Risk of Becoming Violent or Aggressive Policy
- MP 0012/16 Missing Person Policy
- MP 0155/21 State-wide Standardised Clinical Documentation for Mental Health Services
- MP 0063/17 Requesting Road-Based Transport for Mental Health Patients Subject to Transport Orders Policy.
Date of effect: 17 June 2021
Policy Framework
Mental Health
Coroner's Court of Western Australia, Record of Investigation into Death 30 March 2012, Ref No. 27/11. Recommendations 3-6 (Office of the State Coroner Annual Report 2011-12, pages 51-57)