Vision to Reality: Case Study of a Unique Community Mental Health Project

Abstract

The history of a multi-disciplinary child mental health team funded under the Mental Health and Related Services Act 1973 (Commonwealth) is traced from its inception until the end of 1988 using a developmental organisational framework. Many of the problems which beset the group can be attributed, in part at least, to the combination of poorly defined guidelines, positions at base-grade classification and no provision for formal leadership. That the group ultimately became a team, succeeded in establishing a role and developing skills (initially in mental health consultation and later in other processes) is a tribute to its members' perseverance, dedication and enthusiasm, as well as the length of time it was ‘allowed’ to create a niche for itself. If it had been subjected to the current practice of being reviewed after one or two years of operation, it would not have survived and a useful contribution to preventive mental health would have been lost.