As of April, Neami National will deliver a new intake and referral (IAR) triage service, known as Connect to Wellbeing.
Neami is uniquely placed to deliver this service since successfully implementing a similar intake and referral process in other states as well as operating the new mental health centre in Darwin, Head to Health Darwin.
This change in approach is part of a national rollout of the IAR tool and will bring a standardised approach to assessing the level of mental health support and care a person requires.
Neami will triage a range of services to improve access for clients, provide a ‘no wrong door’ approach, and ensure people are referred to appropriate services.
For us, this change will have a range of benefits including:
- improve our capacity to collect, analyse and use program data to inform continuous quality improvement and planning at the service and program level (while being mindful of the burden of reporting on service providers)
- encourage and support the delivery of best practice mental health support in line with national guidelines including alignment with stepped care
- provide opportunities for alternative referral pathways and improved referral efficiency, information, and accuracy
- encourage and support alternative, innovative, flexible, and best practice approaches to service delivery i.e. group therapy, telehealth, stepped care, service integration, multi-disciplinary coordinated care.
- increase the number of individuals able to access psychological therapy services (minimising the number of people on a waiting list)
- provide supported alternative low-intensity options of care where appropriate.
We are working with GPs to make sure they have the information they need to access the IAR service.
A central phone number is available on 1800 844 054 or referrals can be emailed to NT.ConnectToWellbeing@neaminational.org.au
We look forward to continuing to work on service delivery across the Territory as we work to improve access to, and navigation through, the mental health services available to Territorians.
