UARbh

32
newparadigm Spring 2015
Psychiatric Disability Services
of Victoria (VICSERV)
Differentiating holistic mental
health care from disability care
by Arthur Papakotsias and Glen Tobias
Differentiating holistic mental
health care from disability care
Arthur Papakotsias is the CEO of Neami National
Glen Tobias, Victorian State Manager at Neami National
With the approaching roll-out of the National Disability Insurance
Scheme (NDIS) there is considerable concern about the types of
services currently being provided to consumers and carers by the
non-government mental health sector and what will be available
under the NDIS.
From information gathered through numerous consultation, review
and scoping projects conducted to date, it appears the NDIS will
not neatly replace all of the service components that are currently
delivered by the non-government mental health sector. It also
continues to be unclear whether any services will be provided to
complement the NDIS offering and, if so, how they will be funded.
What seems to have been overlooked with the inclusion of mental
health in the NDIS is that the overwhelming majority of consumers
who use mental health services do not stay forever.
On the contrary, they move through the system because they gain
skills, confidence, and self-esteem. In other words they recover to
the point that they no longer need mental health services. In fact, the
default position of holistic mental health services is to expect recovery
to occur for consumers rather than expecting to support people all
their life. Of course, recovery is a very individual process and there
are some people who continue to need support over many years
and others who move in and out of the system as their needs change.
This article attempts to describe a holistic mental health care system
and how disability care is a component of this care. One way to
highlight what constitutes holistic care is to describe a consumer’s
journey through the system, dividing the journey into a beginning,
middle and an end.
The beginning
The critical component of holistic mental health care is beginning
well. This is underpinned with an assumption that great things are
possible through relationships that are ‘real’. The staff member is
truly interested in the consumer as a person and is hopeful that
growth and recovery can occur even when the consumer is not.
It is a two-way engagement process requiring the development
of a therapeutic, interactive and trusting relationship.
Holistic mental health care does not begin with the question, ‘What
is the problem?’ Rather, it begins with an exploration of a consumer’s
values and beliefs. What is important to them, what do they hold
near and dear to their hearts? How will our work together be best
achieved? What are their existing strengths and abilities and what
can be built upon?
To inform the development of the Individual Plan and to help identify
the supports required, the consumer is invited to complete evidencebased
tools and protocols, such as needs assessments, outcome
measures, substance use assessments and physical health prompts.
A risk assessment and risk management plan is also developed as
new information is gathered to inform and support the consumer
and to ensure appropriate safeguarding plans are established.
The Key Worker coordinates the planning process with the consumer
and their identified support networks, including the family/carer, clinical
teams and other providers.