Mental Health Care
Introducing This Page
Browse to your heart's content to find out about West Coast DHB Mental Health Care.
Mental Health Care Services at the West Coast
The West Coast Mental Health Services comprises of multidisciplinary teams consisting of qualified and talented recovery focused health practitioners in supportive and friendly environments in the Buller, Central West Coast and Westland areas of the West Coast. As a rural centre of excellence in health provision always striving for improvement, you will feel at home whatever your discipline or specialty, be it Psychiatry, Psychology, Support Work, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Family Advising or Social Work.
The three Community Mental Health teams provide a range of services including:
- Alcohol and Drug
- Methadone Programme
- Child and Adolescent
- Forensic Service
- Adult Community Mental Health
- Māori Mental Health
- Psychiatric Emergency Services
A range of community based mental health support services are provided by non government organisations (NGO's) including Level III and IV residential beds and activity/vocational services.
He Oranga Kahurangi – Dementia care
The 22 bed unit provides full inpatient assessment, relative relief and long term health care services for elderly people who have been assessed as having dementia and are highly nurse dependent, or maybe likely to harm themselves and others, or have behavioural problems such as aggression, confusion or wandering. Patients require the 24 hour supervision of a Registered Nurse. The team is comprised of a skill mix of Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Psychiatric Assistants, and Activity Co-ordinators. Support and advice is provided to clients, staff and families in community settings by an outreach service on a visiting basis. Psychogeriatrician consultancy is contracted from Canterbury DHB with visits to the West Coast on a six weekly basis and contact in between these visits as required.
The focus of care is to provide a safe, homely, caring and stimulating environment for patients who, because of advanced mental deterioration and/ or physical condition, are unable to attend to their own activities of daily living without assistance from a nurse.
The service also includes a 4 bed psychogeriatric assessment unit, which accepts referrals from GPs, rest homes, other hospitals and community mental health.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
The Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) consists a of a multi-disciplinary team that offers specialist assessment and treatment for infants, children and young people up to the age of 18 years. CAMHS provides services to infants, children and adolescents who have serious mental health disorders; or suspected psychiatric disorders; and/or psychological disorders including severe emotional and behavioural disturbance. CAMHS also provides Youth Alcohol and Drug assessment and counseling. Children of a parent or sibling with mental illness are supported to understand & cope with their situation by a full time child & adult resource worker. This innovative position also offers assistance to clients in parenting skills when necessary.
The team is based in Greymouth and covers all of the West Coast. When necessary the team has access to inpatient beds in Christchurch.
Māori Mental Health
The Māori Mental Health Team provides both clinical and cultural services to all areas of Mental Health on the West Coast. The WCDHB receives funding for 3.5 full time equivalents to work in Māori Mental Health. Currently there is a review underway to determine how this service will be provided in the future.
Manaakitanga - Inpatient Unit
The unit is located at Grey Base Hospital alongside the Community Mental Health team. This co-location provides improved integration between inpatient and community mental health services. Inpatient services include intensive, acute and sub-acute services.