Treatment and care

This page includes information about the following Chief Psychiatrist policy.

This policy is mandatory for all authorised mental health services (AMHSs). An authorised doctor, authorised mental health practitioner, AMHS administrator, or other person performing a function or exercising a power under the Mental Health Act 2016 must comply with this policy.

You can also find additional fact sheets, forms and resources that are available for this policy under the relevant subtopics on this page.

Introduction

The Mental Health Act 2016 promotes voluntary treatment wherever possible and seeks to minimise the use and duration of involuntary treatment to ensure that the treatment is provided in the least restrictive manner possible.

Wherever possible treatment and care should be provided to a person in the community, preferably at home. Treatment and care of people under the Mental Health Act 2016 must be achieved in a way which:

• safeguards a person’s rights
• is least restrictive of the person’s rights and liberties, and
• promotes the recovery of the person.

Individuals, and their family, carers and support persons, should be actively engaged in their treatment and care planning, and are entitled to be provided with information.

National standards

Treatment and care under the Mental Health Act 2016 must be delivered in accordance with contemporary clinical practice.

The Chief Psychiatrist policy links with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards which have been developed to ensure that mental health services in hospitals and community services are of high quality.

In relation to treatment and care, the NSQHS standards articulates the need for an integrated risk management approach which is inclusive of assessment and review of a person’s treatment, care and recovery plan.

These NSQHS standards also ensure systems and processes are in place at an organisational level to provide optimum support for people using the service and their families.

The practice standards ensure mental health professionals’ work practices demonstrate person-centred approaches and reflect nationally agreed protocols and requirements

Learn more about the NSQHS standards on the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care website.

Recovery-oriented services

The Chief Psychiatrist policy requires that clinicians promote recovery-oriented treatment and care. Recovery-oriented services:

• support people to recognise and take responsibility for their own recovery and wellbeing and to define their goals, wishes and aspirations
• involve the patient’s family, carers or other support persons,
• recognise that patients have a right to have support persons involved in all aspects of their care, and
• is specific to the patient’s individual needs.

Patient rights

The treatment and care of patients must have regard to the Mental health statement of rights and responsibilities 2012 which seeks to ensure that consumers, carers, support persons, service providers and the community are aware of relevant rights and responsibilities and can be confident in exercising them.

Learn more about the Mental health statement of rights and responsibilities 2012 on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

You can also find information and resources about patient rights under Queensland's Mental Health Act 2016.

Least restrictive treatment

For treatment and care to be provided in the least restrictive way it must:

• place the least personal restriction on the rights and choices of the patients, taking into account their living situation, their level of support and the needs of their carers or family members, and
• be provided in the community where possible.

Treatment in the community

The Mental Health Act 2016 promotes treatment in the community where possible.

If treatment and care is to be provided in an inpatient setting, this is because it's required for the:

• person’s treatment and care needs
• the safety and welfare of the patient or others.

Under the Mental Health Act 2016, returning to the community following an inpatient admission can occur via a gradual process known as limited community treatment (LCT). There are various types of LCT, such as:

• leave on the grounds of an AMHS
• escorted or unescorted leave outside of an AMHS
• overnight leave.

The purpose of LCT is to support a patient’s recovery by transitioning the patient to living in the community with the appropriate treatment and care.

If an involuntary patient is on a community category order or authority, they can receive treatment and care while living in the community on an ongoing basis.

Read the Treatment in the community (PDF 500 kB) fact sheet to learn more.

Notifying patients of treatment and care

Authorised doctors, AMHS administrators and the Chief Psychiatrist must give written notices and other documents to patients or other persons who are subject to the Mental Health Act 2016 in certain circumstances including specific decisions about:

• patient rights
• examination, assessment and treatment authorities
• transfers, including from custody
• court and tribunal processes.

Read the Written notices and documents for patients (PDF 522 kB) fact sheet to learn more and find out when patients must be notified.

Higher risk patients

The Violence risk assessment and management framework (PDF 2773 kB) provides Queensland Health mental health services with a systematic approach for the identification, assessment and management of consumers who may pose a risk of violence towards others.

The framework aims to support a structured and standardised approach to risk assessment and management through the provision of a three-tiered approach, principles of good practice, clinical tools to underpin clinical expertise, training, and a quality assurance cycle for continuous improvement.

Learn more about risk assessment and management for higher risk patients and read the Chief Psychiatrist's policy for Treatment and care of patients subject to a forensic order, treatment support order or other identified higher risk patients.

Last updated: 5 September 2024