Abstract
BackgroundSuboptimal use of mental health services persists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples1. Coupled with poorer life expectancy than other Australians, barriers to care have included poorly established partnership and communication among mental health services and Aboriginal peoples, and cultural insensitivity. As such, a goal of the Aboriginal mental health workforce is to engage their people and improve the social and emotional well-being of Aboriginal peoples. In 2013, the Northern Area Mental Health Service piloted a 0.8 full time equivalent position of an Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer in an urban setting. Therefore, aims of this study were to describe the development of the role and stakeholder perceptions on how the role impacts on the typical journey of Aboriginal consumers engaging with mental health services. Meeting the aims may provide an exemplar for other mental health services.MethodsAn illustrative case study using quantitative and qualitative data collection was undertaken. Descriptive statistics were computed to profile consumers and referral pathways. Thematic analysis was used to profile key stakeholder perceptions of the role.ResultsThe Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer received 37 referrals over a 9 month period. The major source of referral was from an emergency department (49 %). Seventy-three percent of referrals by the Aboriginal mental health liaison officer at discharge were to community mental health teams. Thematic analysis of data on the development of the role resulted in two themes themes; (1) realisation of the need to improve accessibility and (2) advocating for change. The description of the role resulted in four themes; (1) the initiator: initiating access to the service, (2) the translator: brokering understanding among consumers and clinicians, (3) the networker: discharging to the community, and (4) the facilitator: providing cyclic continuity of care.ConclusionsThe liaison component of the role was only a part of the multiple tasks the urban Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer fulfils. As such, the role was positively described as influencing the lives of Aboriginal consumers and their families and improving engagement with health professionals in the mental health service in question.
Highlights
Suboptimal use of mental health services persists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples1
The aims of this study were to; (1) describe the development of the Aboriginal Mental Health Liaison Officer (AMHLO) role in an urban setting and (2) describe stakeholder perceptions on how the role of the AMHLO impacts on the typical journey of Aboriginal consumers engaging with mental health services
Quantitative description - Profile of Aboriginal consumers interfacing with the AMHLO The AMHLO received 37 referrals over a 9 month period
Summary
Suboptimal use of mental health services persists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Coupled with poorer life expectancy than other Australians, barriers to care have included poorly established partnership and communication among mental health services and Aboriginal peoples, and cultural insensitivity. Despite the disparate in mental health hospitalisation rates of Aboriginal peoples, a suboptimal use of mental health services by Aboriginal peoples persists [4]. Barriers to care include poorly established partnership and communication among mental health services and Aboriginal peoples [5], poor understanding of the determinants of social and emotional well-. A goal of the Aboriginal mental health workforce is to engage their people and improve the social and emotional well-being of Aboriginal peoples [9]. Duties of the workforce may involve contact with consumers experiencing both emotional and spiritual illness along with distinct mental illness, which extends beyond the normal consumer-therapist relationship [10]
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