Service Overview
In response to The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System recommendations, Northern Health became a designated mental health service on 1 July 2022. Northern Health is the third largest mental health service in Victoria, providing services to adults and older adults aged 26+ who have a diagnosed mental health condition.
Northern Health Mental Health provides the following services:
- Adult Acute Inpatients
- Older Adult Inpatients
- Emergency Mental Health
- Adult Community Teams
- Specialist Older Adult Consultation Service (SOACS) replacing Aged Psychiatry Assessment and Treatment Team
- Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC)
- Community Care Unit (CCU)
- Glencairn Consulting Suites
- Residential Services – McLellan House
- Residential Service – Merv Irvine Nursing Home
If you or family member require mental health and wellbeing support but don’t meet the criteria to access Northern Health Mental Health Services, there are a number of other organisation that may be able to help. Please click here for further information on these services.
Ms Belinda Scott, Executive Director Mental Health
Belinda Scott is the Executive Director – Mental Health. Belinda brings key industry experience covering business and strategic planning and implementation, quality and risk management, engagement and partnership development, financial management, capability building, metropolitan and rural health care. Belinda’s previous experience includes Chief Executive Officer at Djerriwarrh Health Service and at Northern Health as the General Manager, Broadmeadows Hospital.
As the Executive Director Mental Health, Belinda has worked hard to ensure the transition to Northern Health was as minimally disruptive as possible for consumers, their families and staff.
Belinda has been working collaboratively with a number of key stakeholders to improve mental health services delivered at Northern Health, ensuring patients receive high quality, consistent mental health care and treatment.
Associate Professor Dr Vinay Lakra, Divisional Director Clinical Services – Mental Health
Dr Lakra is the Divisional Director, Clinical Services for the Mental Health Division and the appointed Authorised Psychiatrist (under s 328 of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act) for Northern Health. Dr Lakra is a member of the Victorian Board of the Medical Board of Australia.
Service improvements in Mental Health
With our commitment to ensuring services are responsive to the needs of our consumers, there are several key improvement projects underway, including:
- Refurbishment of acute adults’ wards at Broadmeadows and Northern Hospital
- Services to provide integrated treatment, care and support to people living with mental illness and substance use or addiction – the Addiction Psychiatry and Toxicology (APT) team will commence in 2024, which will include the commencement of outpatient clinics
- Review of the Adult Community Mental Health Services
Adult Community Mental Health Services
The review and development of a new model of care for adult community mental health services commenced in 2023. The aim of the redesign is to provide services at a level/intensity and timeliness that meets the consumer’s care needs, with a focus of keeping people well in the community. There will be a shift from an episodic to ongoing model of care that provides better access, timely specialist mental health services with focus on consumers’ recovery and prevention of relapse. The new model of care will be implemented in 2024.
Vision
To provide high quality assessment and coordinated treatment and support to consumers with severe, or at risk of, enduring mental illness to enable and maintain recovery, stability and decrease the likelihood of further trauma and deterioration.
Principles
- Care is underpinned by kindness, compassion, and empathy, ensuring that we provide a caring and supportive environment for our consumers.
- We treat each consumer as an individual, with unique needs and preferences, and work closely with them to design care plans that are tailored to their specific needs.
- We recognize the importance of building strong and positive relationships with our consumers, their families and carers, and our wider community.
- We are committed to providing a safe and supportive workplace for our staff, where they can feel valued, respected and supported.
- We value the diverse skills, knowledge and experience of our team members, and work together to provide the best possible care to our consumers.
- We believe that by working together, we can create a more cohesive and integrated mental health care system that provides better outcomes for our consumers, their families and carers, and our wider community.
- Consumers and carers have easy access to coordinated assessment, treatment and support when they need it.
The first phase of the new model of care has been implemented, with the commencement of Consultant/Psychiatrist led Outpatient Clinics at the four community sites – Hotham Street, Hume, Merri-bek and Noogal in 2024.
We are hiring!
Northern Health, one of Victoria’s busiest healthcare providers, is currently seeking Registered Nurses, Allied Health, Corporate and Administration staff to join our ever-growing team. Click on the image below, to find out more.
