THE MID NORTH COAST MENTAL HEALTH INTEGRATED CARE COLLABORATIVE 2016 Annual Report The Mid North Coast Mental Health Integrated Care Collaborative, a group of 16 government and nongovernment organisations, primary care providers, consumer and carer representatives, is now known as IMHpact MNC. The name, developed and agreed to by all members, stands for an Integrated Mental Health pact for the Mid North Coast, with members committed to a collective impact approach to regional mental health reform. After two years in design phase, the collaborative is now in it s third year of operation. The group continues to work together to build local consensus and action for more integrated, person centred mental health care and support on the Mid North Coast. This report outlines IMHpact s progress and achievements, and the exciting initiatives that are planned for the future. IMHpact MNC s vision is: To have a community where mental health support is responsive, inclusive and accessible, enabling a mentally healthy community. IMHpact MNC s mission is: To build an integrated person-centred mental health care system through collaboration of service providers, consumers, carers and advocates.
IMHpact MNC Launches IMHpact MNC was officially launched at the Mid North Coast Mental Health Integrated Care Annual Forum held at South West Rocks on 18 August 2016. The launch raised the profile of the Collaborative and received considerable print and radio media attention, with published newspaper articles, radio interviews and grabs spreading the working together for mental health message to the community. IMHpact MNC Members (L-R, back row) Pam Johnson (IMHpact Project Manager), Glen O Hara (Interrelate), Paul Kelly (CHESS), Stuart Nunan (OTCP), Luke Buckley (New Horizons), Megan Lawrance (NCPHN), Kay Clark (Carer Rep), Virginia Divall (Consumer Rep), Rob Moorehead (Endeavour MH Clubhouse) and John Leary (MNCLHD). (L-R, front row) Dusty Dempsey (Carer Rep), Robbie Lloyd (SkillsLink), Michael Daly (Consumer Rep), Nicole Rowe (Mission Australia), Anna Thompson (Mid Coast Communities), Laura Daley (FACS) and Danica Hudson (Consumer Rep). Absent were Catherine Vaara (Lifeline), Nicole Kosseris (Headspace Port Macquarie) and Shelley Rowe (Headspace Coffs Harbour). Introducing the new IMHpact MNC Co-Chair Megan Lawrance, the North Coast Primary Health Network (NCPHN) representative for IMHpact throughout 2015, became the new Co- Chair of IMHpact MNC in September. Megan now holds the position of Director, Mental Health Reform and Integration with the North Coast Primary Health Network and will be a great asset to the IMHpact Executive Group. John Leary, Mid North Coast Local Health District s Director of Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol, remains in the Co-Chair role alongside Megan. Sincere appreciation and thanks are extended to Paul Kelly, Chief Executive Officer CHESS Employment, for his dedication, commitment and and outstanding contribution whilst in the IMHpact Co-Chair role since March 2015.
Governance The collaborative s governance framework, developed in 2015, established an organisational structure consisting of a Core Coordination Group of senior organisational members and consumer/carer representatives to oversee strategic direction and decision making, supported by affiliate members, service leaders, reference/working groups and the broader community of interest. There are now 16 member organisations represented on the Core Coordination Group, and five consumer and carer representatives. A data base of affiliate members, IMHpact member potential influencers and service leaders and the community of interest developed in 2016 now has 184 entries. The Governance Framework is underpinned by foundation principles of; Collaboration - at the core of IMHpact MNC is valuing collaboration as a means of enhancing the capacity of partners for mutual benefit and a common purpose, that is to create a better, more seamless mental health system and a better experience for consumers Transparency and Openness about the reasons for and outcomes of decisions made and actions taken Respect - for all IMHpact MNC organisations and stakeholders, including and most importantly consumers and carers Integrity acting impartially, ethically and in the best interests of IMHpact MNC Efficiency the way we make decisions to ensure the best use of collective resources to further the aims of IMHpact MNC. The collaborative process and journey towards mental health reform is complex and thus by necessity dynamic and adaptive, and the Governance structure continues to evolve to reflect this. The governance framework was reviewed in 2016 by the Executive Group. Membership The following organisations are represented on the IMHpact MNC Core Coordination Group: Mid North Coast Local Health District Family & Community Services (Mid North Coast) North Coast Primary Health Network Mission Australia New Horizons CHESS Employment GenHealth (Headspace Coffs Harbour) EACH (Headspace Port Macquarie) OTCP (On Track Community Programs) Lifeline Interrelate Mid Coast Communities (Ability Links) Endeavour Mental Health Recovery Clubhouse SkillsLink Port Macquarie Anglicare Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service There are also five consumer and carer representatives on the Core Coordination Group.
During 2016 IMHpact saw the addition of two new Core Coordination Group organisational members. Endeavour Mental Health Recovery Clubhouse and Port Macquarie Community College are passionate about offering personcentred, community based psychosocial recovery pathways. Together they work to create a community of belonging where people can feel socially included, find new friends, and develop practical skills and a sense of renewed purpose for their ongoing life development and vocational pathways. We got involved in IMHpact because we see the need to form partnerships across the sector and to build new alliances with other NGO s, carers and families, as well as the health system. The way this integrated team approach is shaping up we see it really supporting a much wider range of choices - no-one can do everything but if we can work together we can get better results (Robbie Lloyd and Rob Moorehead) IMHpact MNC also gained two new carer and two new consumer representatives, making a total of five consumer/carer representatives. I am very pleased to be involved with IMHpact and I am excited about the promise this initiative holds for true consumer engagement and contribution. A contributing life is listed as one of the basic human needs. In my experience a contributing life is essential to my recovery and should not be overlooked as being of great importance to any client of mental health services. Any way in which a consumer can remain engaged with services and be genuinely invited to contribute in their own unique way to research and evaluation is fantastic and will go a long way to promoting individual wellbeing (consumer representative Michael Daly) IMHpact Carer representative Kay Clarke was announced Senior Carer of the Year in October after nomination by Mission Australia and IMHpact members. Core Coordination Group Meetings The Core Coordination Group consists of senior organisational managers and consumer/carer representatives and is tasked with strategic oversight of IMHpact s direction. The group met monthly throughout 2016, with meetings held by videoconference across three sites, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey and Port Macquarie. Consistent attendance
demonstrates a high level of engagement, and is testament to the good will and strong commitment of collaborative members to build a better and more integrated mental health sector on the Mid North Coast. A Vision for Mental Health Services on the Mid North Coast In June 2015 Synergia Consultancy was engaged to seek the views of IMHpact members and the broader Mid North Coast mental health sector through an online survey and a series of in depth interviews and workshops held in Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. The aim of the project was to support and guide the work of IMHpact MNC by setting out ideas for a practical reconfiguration for the future of mental health services in the Mid North Coast region. The project invited stakeholders to re-imagine the service landscape and how it could change over the next five to 10 years. The Project report has been finalised, endorsed by the IMHpact MNC membership and distributed widely throughout their organisations and beyond. The seven key areas identified were; Complex Hubs Addressing complexity: Housing and Mental Health Reducing unplanned admissions Early intervention and community care Mental Health care planning and management in Primary Care Consumer controlled collaborative care plan Mental Health needs of Aboriginal people Strategic Planning The IMHpact MNC Implementation Plan 2016-2019 has been developed to incorporate the Strategic Vision and other foundation work undertaken into an operational working document to guide the work of the collaborative. This document sets out IMHpact s Vision and Mission, and outlines five strategic directions and initiatives to achieve these. The Implementation Plan was endorsed by members in September and will be reported on quarterly.
Research and Evaluation IMHpact MNC has partnered with the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (University of Newcastle) to develop and progress a three year evaluation of IMHpact MNC. Formative work during 2016 has resulted in consolidation and consensus of a Program Logic Framework and the development of a comprehensive Evaluation Plan, including a suite of data collection tools. Funding from the Mid North Coast Local Health District s Research Support Grant Program will enable the collection of baseline data, with funding to continue the research being sought through the NSW Health Translational Research Grants Scheme. Ethics approval from both the North Coast and University of Newcastle Ethics Committees has been granted, and data collection is intended to commence late in 2016. The research will address the overall question is there evidence that IMHpact MNC results in better outcomes for consumers and the population receiving mental health services in the Mid North Coast how effective is the collaborative and how are consumer recovery journeys affected? Mental Health Integrated Care Annual Forum 2016 The third annual Mid North Coast Mental Health Integrated Care Forum was held at South West Rocks in August and was deemed a great success by participants in evaluation comments. Participant numbers have grown each year, with the 2016 Forum gathering 130 attendees from agencies across the local mental health sector, along with consumers, carers and special guests. Expert guest speakers set the scene for Mental Health Reform, and discussed innovative collaborative mental health models, whilst our expert locals outlined IMHpact MNC activity and the local reform agenda. A well-received highlight was the presentation around Peer Work and the value of lived experience by local Peer Worker Vicki Nosworthy.
Forum Speakers (L to R) Nicole Rowe, Regional Manager Mission Australia, Megan Lawrance, Director Mental Health Reform and Integration North Coast Primary Health Network, Julie Robotham, Strategic Operations Manager NSW Mental Health Commission, Dr Peter Mc George, Director Mental Health Drug & Alcohol, St Vincents Health Network, Vicki Nosworthy, Peer Worker Partners in Recovery (CHESS) and Professor David Perkins, Director Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health. Professor David Perkins delivering his presentation - Mental health care: patient centred and integrated or provider centred and doomed? Service Leader Forum The first IMHpact MNC Service Leader Forum held in Coffs Harbour in November engaged 34 of IMHpact member s nominated service leaders and mangers in discussion around implementation of collaborative initiatives outlined in the IMHpact Implementation Plan. The Evaluation feedback was positive, indicating the Forum was a good start, with a high level of desire for ongoing engagement evident and ideas and suggestions for future forums and activity. The Service Leader Forums are an important communication strategy and are integral to the achievement of IMHpact s mission to build and integrated person-centred mental health care system through collaboration of service providers, consumers, carers and advocates. It is intended that there will be three Service Leader Forums annually, with dates to be announced in the New Year.
Presenting IMHpact MNC In 2016 the profile of IMHpact MNC has been raised through a number of presentations at Conferences and Forums. Shelley Rowe, Manager headspace Coffs Harbour, presented IMHpact at the Mid North Coast Rural Research Innovation and Symposium in Coffs Harbour in September. Paul Kelly, Chief Executive CHESS Employment, presented as part of a workshop on key issues in metal health integrated care delivery at the National Rural Mental Health Conference at Kingscliff in November. On request, IMHpact was also presented at the NSW Health Mental Health Directors Forum in Sydney by John Leary, Mid North Coast LHD Director of Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol. Shared Professional Development Helen Glover Workshops Thanks to Mission Australia, IMHpact Core Group members and staff from their organisations were fortunate enough to attend a series of three Helen Glover Workshops held across the Mid North Coast in May and June. The Workshops titled Rethinking our positions in people s lives- fostering more opportunities for people to take the lead and reclaim a life beyond the impact if mental ill-health were inspiring, thought provoking and very well received. Collaborative Care Planning The Collaborative Care Planning Working Group, consisting of several staff from IMHpact organisations and a consumer representative, continued the development and trialling of an innovative Consumer Wellbeing Plan (CWBP) during 2016. The CWBP was presented and discussed at the Inaugural Service Leader Forum, with further rollout planned for 2017. Meeting the needs of Aboriginal communities Meeting the mental health needs of Aboriginal communities is identified as a key strategic direction of IMHpact MNC. Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service, in collaboration with several IMHpact organisations, has undertaken important formative work in this area with its Aboriginal Systems Improvement Project. Key issues emerging are; Access: Aboriginal consumers, family and carers are able to get the services and supports that they need in a timely manner Recruitment of Aboriginal staff: Consumers and community members are able to liaise with an Aboriginal staff member in any community service organisation Physical environment of services: Services demonstrate cultural competency through their physical environment Service integration and service gaps: Aboriginal consumers and community members are aware of what services are available that address their needs and have confidence in the system
The project prompts discussion around collaborative investment in a new approach to mental health service design and delivery and Aboriginal organisations coming together to contribute to the emerging vision and new approach. An Aboriginal Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Forum is planned for 2017 to further progress this important strategic direction Enquiries and further information Pam Johnson, IMHpact MNC Project Manager Phone 0427 692 598 Email - pamela.johnson@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au