Youth Services Integration Project: Identifying areas for improvement across youth mental health services

The Youth Services Integration Project was a project initiated by WAAMH and funded by the Department of Finance to understand young people’s pathways through the mental health system and the extent of, or lack of service integration.  The goal was to work with young people with lived experience of the mental health system to visually map their journeys, pathways and experiences through the mental health system. This was done to understand and illustrate:  how and where services are integrated, or not integrated; understand what effect that has on young people’s recovery journey; and to identify strengths and gaps in service integration. The project used a co-production approach and was led, planned, and delivered by young people, including two youth advisors / co-researchers.

Outcomes
Through mapping the journeys of twenty-five young people aged between 15 to 25 years old, the project exposed significant issues in the youth mental health system. Common themes discovered throughout the research included: differing privacy and information consent processes between organisations; young people’s perception of unjust treatment based on their age alone; challenges accessing support in a mental health crisis; the significance of the initial contact to access support; the importance of accessing non-mental health support networks to aid recovery; and the flow on effects to a narrow recovery pathway when reaching a diagnosis.

Based on the findings, an integration framework was developed to provide guidance around service integration. Evident throughout the project’s findings was the need to ensure young people receive care they feel is most appropriate for them.

Related links 

Project advisory group
• WAAMH
• Telethon Kids
• Anglicare
• Youth Affairs Council of WA
• Youth Focus
• North Metropolitan Mental Health Services

Partners
• Department of Finance
• WA Mental Health Commission