The North Coast Collective’s first regional strategy is about mental health and alcohol and other drugs (MH&AOD). This is due to the adverse outcomes the North Coast experiences in comparison to state averages.
On the North Coast it is expected that more than 100,000 people will be living with a mental health disorder in the next 12 months. This is despite Healthy North Coast , the Medical Benefits Schedule, and both Local Health Districts collectively spending more than $200 million per annum.
Our strategic response
We adopted a systems dynamic model (SDM) to inform the efficient use of resources in the pursuit of better health outcomes. According to the SDM, the interventions most likely to improve health outcomes are technology-enabled care, social connectedness and post-attempt care.
Our strategic response details how we will improve MH&AOD outcomes. Five themes describe our approach.
- Improving lives now: improved health outcomes for me, improved health outcomes for life, improved carer outcomes
- Respecting tradition: improved Aboriginal participation, culturally appropriate engagement, understand the Aboriginal approach
- Securing a healthier future: reduced overall burden in future, improved health outcomes for life
- One team: integrated service delivery, easier interaction, clearer decisions
- Focused on performance: investment optimisation, optimum cost per capital of care
As part of a staggered implementation, Healthy North Coast has identified and worked with a number of commissioned programs providing youth, alcohol and other drug, and mental health nursing services to redesign and align to the SDM outputs.
Selected metrics will periodically recalibrate and refine the SDM to enhance future accuracy and assist with evaluation.
Community consultation
Broad consultation throughout the region has provided a thorough understanding of the challenges we face in delivering better MH&AOD outcomes. Our first forums were designed to communicate to, and engage with, key stakeholders. The facilitated sessions provided valuable insights from the perspective of different stakeholders including people with lived experience. An artist captured this visual record of one of the sessions.
