Identifying Carers at Risk
Background:
The Mental Health Carer project has developed an addition to the existing intake process as part of the project development, implementation and monitoring of referral pathways significant to mental health carers. Identifying carers at first contact will assist staff to ensure appropriate pathways for referral, and to provide carers with vital tools to enhance their overall health and wellbeing.
The project has identified carers as being an 'at risk population' and therefore had developed the initiative to ensure the new process of carer identification is generated from initial contact at intake and continues through internal pathways to ensure better outcomes for the client. The desired outcome is that carers receive a targeted delivery of services and programs to reduce isolation, increase social networks, manage risks and enhance overall health and wellbeing.
The initiative works using existing intake processes and provides an additional prompt question that will guide staff in identifying if a client is a mental health carer. Once the client has been identified they will be registered with our organisation as a carer, and followed up for an assessment of needs. Once the needs are clearly identified the client will be provided with a carer education resource pack and have access to all aspects of the BCHS Carer Wellness Model. The Wellness Model will ensure that clients have the opportunity to access a range of health and wellbeing programs across the organisation and link them in with other relevant agencies to support their needs.
