preparation for placement in the mental health sector

Residential mental health care services provide specialised mental health care on an overnight basis in a domestic-like environment. Residential services are accessed by a tiny fraction of people with a mental illness - approximateluy 0.01% (AIHW, 2014). Residential mental health services may include rehabilitation, treatment or extended care.

 

Statistics (AIHW, 2014):

 

• There were over 7,000 residential episodes of care recorded for over 5,200 residents in 2013–14. The number of residential episodes per 10,000 population increased by an average of 13% per year between 2009–10 and 2013–14. The estimated number of residents per 10,000 population increased by an annual average of 15% over the same period. 

• Residents with an involuntary mental health legal status accounted for 18% of all episodes in 2013–14, compared with 29% in 2009–10. 

• When principal diagnosis was specified, schizophrenia was the most common principal diagnosis for residents undergoing residential episodes of care (32%), followed by depressive episode (12%) and schizoaffective disorder (10%). 

• The most common length of stay for a completed residential episode was 2 weeks or less (58%) in 2013–14, with 3% of episodes lasting longer than 1 year.

 

Placement opportunities:

• You may have the opportunity to undertake placement in a mental health rehabilitation unit.

• Some existing hospitals have residential facilities on site, such as Macquarie Hospital.

• Placement opportunities in residential drug and alochol rehabilitation facilities also exist.