Neami invested in early implementation research of the Medicare Mental Health Centre (MMHC) model in partnership with The ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation.
The research aimed to understand how five Neami Medicare Mental Health Centre (formerly Head to Health) services (including the Urgent Mental Health Care Centre (UMHCC)) are operating within their local communities and service systems and to capture experiences and perspectives of the services from staff and consumers.
What the research told us
The consumer experience is positive
People feel safe, welcomed, understood and listened to. Many say they feel seen and heard for the first time and have a sense of hope for the future.
We heard that people value the compassionate, non-judgemental approach, as well as having access to the combination of Peer Workers with their own lived experience of mental health challenges, and clinicians like psychologists, nurses, social workers and occupational therapists.
Services are providing an enduring sense of care and connection with guests over time.
The services are increasing access and filling a gap in the system
The co-evaluation found that the services are reaching people who may not have otherwise accessed support:
- nearly a third of guests are seeking mental health support for the first time
- 65 – 85% of guests are self-referred
- 26% of survey respondents wouldn’t have sought support elsewhere.
Services are having a meaningful impact on emergency department and hospital presentations. Eight per cent of people presenting would otherwise have gone to an emergency department, and this figure is more than 40% at the UMHCC.
The services are reaching the people they are intended for.
- people experiencing moderate to severe mental health issues/emotional distress.
- people seeking to navigate the service system are being warmly directed to engage in supports ranging from low intensity to high acuity supports.
For the first time, people in these communities can access free and timely mental health support.
An opportunity to learn and iterate the model over time to maximise consumer outcomes
We’re reflecting deeply on the co-evaluation findings to think about what adjustments we need to make to enhance our service model.
We hope our implementation co-evaluation can feed into the evolution of the service model – for Medicare Mental Health Centres operated by Neami, as well as other providers.
More information about the co-evaluation findings
- What is an Implementation Co-Evaluation? A Snapshot on the Framework and its application in Medicare Mental Health Centres
- Who accesses Neami National Medicare Mental Health Centres? An Implementation Co-Evaluation Snapshot #1
- Who delivers care in Neami National Medicare Mental Health Centres? Implementation Co-Evaluation Snapshot #2
- What are the guest experiences of care in Neami National Medicare Mental Health Centres? An Implementation Co-Evaluation Snapshot #3