Citation

Assan B, Burchell P, Chia A, Coffey C, Floreani S, Weir J, Hammond SW, Woods B. Australas. Psychiatry 2008; 16(6): 423-427.

Affiliation

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia. ben.assan@austin.org.au

Comment In:

Australas Psychiatry 2009;.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1080/10398560801886021

PMID

18608165

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to describe the Adolescent Intensive Management (AIM) team at the Austin Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), a unique model of intensive outreach service with high-risk and difficult-to-engage adolescents, and describe the profile of clients referred to it. METHOD: This study used a retrospective review of clients' data, collected through file audit, over a 12-month period. RESULTS: The result of the study showed that a 100% retention rate of adolescents with complex social, emotional and mental health needs is possible in a flexible and multi-system approach to service provision. CONCLUSION: Clients referred to the CAMHS' AIM team displayed a pattern of multiple risk factors and comorbidities. Low caseload of 8-10 clients per clinician allowed flexibility and a level of intensity to make any necessary changes in service provision to better suit the client's needs. The majority of clients showed improvement in functioning following intervention by the team.

Language: en