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ADULT COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH &
ADDICTION SERVICES
Protocol
MENTAL HEALTH &
MHAS.C1.6
ADDICTION SERVICES
INTAKE
PROTOCOL
STANDARD
All referrals to Community Mental Health (CMH) are processed expediently and appropriately
in keeping with Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) Mental Health & Addiction
Service’s (MH&AS) policy, Health and Disability Services Standards and Ministry of Health
guidelines.
OBJECTIVE
The primary function of the Intake Service is to process all referrals to ACMHAS. The Intake
Service provides a clinical first point of contact with a telephonic clinical response and
information to referrers and members of the public who request a secondary psychiatric
services response. The Intake Service is responsible for the co-ordination of referral
information, and ensures continuation of follow-up for incoming referrals.
EXCLUSIONS
There are no exclusions.
PROCEDURE
ACTION
1.
Incoming written referrals are initially date stamped in CMH reception by admin support
and passed onto intake.
Non-urgent phone calls and referrals are directed to the Intake service.
2.
Upon receiving a referral the Intake Co-ordinator will:
Enter information electronically on WebPAS
Check WebPAS / Clinical intranet for past psychiatric contacts and include this
information with the new referral.
Integrate any relevant feedback obtained from sector teams regarding previous
presentations.
3.
The Intake Co-ordinator:
Contacts the referrer and client, and using the Triage form, gains further information to
clarify the appropriateness, urgency, main presenting issues and assigns a triage
priority (refer t
o MHAS.A1.53 Triage Scale)
Is supported by on-duty psychiatrist, on-duty crisis team, and clinical leads.
Processes all written referrals, self-presentations, and new-to-service phone calls.
Transfers calls and self-presentations meeting triage category levels A to emergency
services
Transfers calls and self-presentations meeting triage category levels B, C and D to
crisis staff.
Completes a triage form for the new referral and assigns a priority for a comprehensive
assessment for patients at level E.
For patients at triage levels F or G, communicates with the referrer and patient
regarding the service criteria and the reason that they are not for service; and provides
information about appropriate services or treatment options. See
Appendix 1.
Issue Date:
Feb 2017
Page 1 of 4
NOTE: The electronic version of
Review Date:
Feb 2020
Version No: 6
this document is the most current.
Any printed copy cannot be
Protocol Steward: Team Leader,
Authorised by: Business Leader & assumed to be the current version.
ACMHS Acute Response Services
Clinical Director, MH&AS
ADULT COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH &
ADDICTION SERVICES
Protocol
MENTAL HEALTH &
MHAS.C1.6
ADDICTION SERVICES
INTAKE
PROTOCOL
ACTION
4
Referrals that meet the MH&AS entry criteria will be discussed with the relevant sector
Team Leader for allocation to a healthcare practitioner (HCP) to complete a
comprehensive assessment.
Support for comprehensive assessment is available from the duty psychiatrist, crisis
staff, clinical leads, and team colleagues. The HCP uses clinical discretion regarding
this support considering the patient, assessment setting, and assessment process.
6
Referrals that have been accepted by the sector team will have a standard acceptance
letter sent to both the client and the referrer by the sector admin support.
All referral outcomes will be electronically documented on assignment of clinician by
sector admin staff.
7
Referrals may be declined if the presenting issue does not meet CMH entry criteria i.e.
not a primary mental health concern.
In this case, Intake will broker these referrals by identifying appropriate sub-speciality
service or community resources and providing the referrer / client with the information
necessary to access alternative treatment options should they chose to.
Intake will attempt to provide information on a range of agencies / services that can
cater to the issues identified.
Intake will endeavor to keep an updated register / list of Community agencies as
providers can regularly change within the community setting.
Mental Health Services do not have preferred community providers
REFERENCES
Health and Disability Services Standard, NZS 8134:2008.
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
Bay of Plenty District Health Board Mental Health & Addiction Services protocol
MHAS.A1.53 Triage Scale
Bay of Plenty District Health Board Mental Health & Addiction Services protocol
MHAS.A1.23 Assessment
Bay of Plenty District Health Board Mental Health & Addiction Services protocol
MHAS.A1.43 Referral
Community Mental Health and Addictions Triage Intake form
Issue Date:
Feb 2017
Page 2 of 4
NOTE: The electronic version of
Review Date:
Feb 2020
Version No: 6
this document is the most current.
Any printed copy cannot be
Protocol Steward: Team Leader,
Authorised by: Business Leader & assumed to be the current version.
ACMHS Acute Response Services
Clinical Director, MH&AS
Appendix 1 Adult Community Mental Health Services Triage Intake Process 2017
All Referrals
From All Sources
Adult Community Mental health & Addiction
Intake Service
Intake Service to Triage Category
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Emergency
Urgent
Urgent
Semi-Urgent
Non-Urgent
Referral or
Advice or
Service
Advice to
Information
Response
Respond
Response from
Respond
Contact
Only
within 2
Clinician within
within 72
Alternative
Hours
8 Hours
Hours
Provider
Emergency
Allocate for Assessment
Primary Sector Provider
Service
To Appropriate Team Leader/
Clinical Lead
To Crisis Shift Coordinator
On Same Day
On Same Day
To Action as per Triage
Category (Above)
Adult Community Mental
Crisis Team
Health & Addictions Team
Support return to health functioning and
Support return to Pre-crisis
independence for people with episodic
Functioning, Well-being and Resilience
needs and those most severely affected by
mental health and addiction issues.
Crisis Intervention
Brief Episodes of Care
Admission to Inpatient Care
Sever Needs
Assessing those in custody
Complex Needs
Assessing those in ED
High risk pathways
Mental health service Crisis plans
Issue Date:
Feb 2017
Page 3 of 4
NOTE: The electronic version of
Review Date:
Feb 2020
Version No: 6
this document is the most current.
Any printed copy cannot be
Protocol Steward: Team Leader,
Authorised by: Business Leader & assumed to be the current version.
ACMHS Acute Response Services
Clinical Director, MH&AS
Appendix 2 Intake Tasks
ADULT MENTAL HEALTH INTAKE TASK
FLOW CHART
ELECTRONIC
PHASE
STANDARDS TASKS
BY WHOM
ENTRIES
REFERRAL RECEIVED AND
In Webpas:
Date Stamp all referrals
LOGGED
Create new
primary referral for
mental health if
none open or re-
activate if previous
Admin Support /
one was closed
Intake worker /
within last 3
Crisis Shift Coordinator
months.
Contact referrer, elicit relevant health history
Create linked
and information
referral for case
Facilitate Consumer engagement
team if none is
TRIAGE / INTAKE
Check demographics, address & contact
open
details, consent, expectations
Provide information
In Webpas:
Enter notes
Intake/Triage Worker
against linked
Crisis worker
referral of case
team
In WebPAS enter:
triage category A-G
A
Crisis
In primary referral
B
High Risk
comment field.
TRIAGE A,B,C,D,E,F,G
C
Urgent
Intake/Triage Worker
Contact: use codes
REFER MHAS.A1.53
D Semi-Urgent
Crisis worker
T01, T08, T32, T42
E Non-Urgent
Location - phone or
F+G
Not for service
physical location for
face to face contacts
REQUIRES IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
A-CRISIS
REFER TO EMERGENCY SERVICES
Intake refer to Crisis
INFORM CRISIS WORKERS /DAO’s
service or Responsible
health care professional
Requires direct contact + assessment in 2
[if known client] for
B- HIGH RISK
Type Assessment
hours
direct contact and
& Risk Ass. and
assessment
email to admin for
uploading to CIS.
Requires direct contact +assessment in 8
C-URGENT
Enter Outcomes
hours
scores.
Enter encounter in
Webpas and make
Requires RHCP allocation by Team Leader
D -SEMI URGENT
Webpas notes.
RHCP does assessment in 72 hours
Intake refers to Team
Leader
RHCP does assessment
Requires RHCP allocation by Team Leader
E- NON-URGENT
RHCP makes contact in 1 week & does
assessment in 3 weeks
Record against
F+G NOT MEETING
Requires written response in 10 days. Provide
linked referral.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
consumer and referrer with information on
Close linked
Intake/ Triage worker
CRITERIA OR FOR
alternate services that match health needs
and primary
INFORMATION ONLY
referrals
MDT MEETING +
Use Assessment form for presentation to MDT
Declined:Close
FEEDBACK, CONFIRM
Record decisions on form
Intake worker if
linked and
ACCEPTANCE OR DECLINE
Treatment Plan documented
individual is declined
primary referrals
INTO SERVICE
from service and RHCP
Accepted
RHCP / CASE MANAGER
Referrer and client summary letter
if accepted for further
RHCP transfer in
DIAGNOSIS
MDT Review Form filed
treatment
WebPAS
TREATMENT PLAN
Treatment Plan updated
DOCUMENTATION
COMPLETED
Issue Date:
Feb 2017
Page 4 of 4
NOTE: The electronic version of
Review Date:
Feb 2020
Version No: 6
this document is the most current.
Any printed copy cannot be
Protocol Steward: Team Leader,
Authorised by: Business Leader & assumed to be the current version.
ACMHS Acute Response Services
Clinical Director, MH&AS
