Mental Health In-Depth Reviews

The National Standards for Mental Health Services (NSMHS )

The NSMHS were jointly developed by The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), the then Community Health Accreditation and Standards Program (CHASP) and the Area Integrated Mental Health Service Standards (AIMHS). The project was funded by the former Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services through the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council's National Mental Health Policy Working Group (NMHPWG).

The ACHS review process for Mental Health Services

Steps for Participating in an ACHS In-Depth of the NSMHS

(a)     Incorporating the NSMHS into practice within all mental health services

(b)     Self-assessing using EQuIP

(c)     Organising an ACHS in-depth review incorporating the NSMHS- please contact your Customer Services Manager to discuss the application process, costs etc...

The In-Depth Review
The in-depth review uses the EQuIP standards as the framework for the assessment. Mental health services need to be able to demonstrate how the NSMHS have been incorporated into practice within the EQuIP standards. The surveyors will use their expert current knowledge of the NSMHS and mental health service delivery to guide their assessment of performance to the EQuIP standards. One or more mental health surveyors plus a consumer surveyor conduct the Review, which is always undertaken in conjunction with an EQuIP survey event.

Consumer members of the survey team have a role in addressing the Mental Health Standards within the EQuIP framework, speaking to consumers and carers or reviewing consumer/carer involvement in service planning, development and delivery.

To ensure the review of the mental health service is integrated with that of the organisation as a whole, the members of the survey team responsible for surveying the whole organisation may also validate evidence in the mental health service.

Certificate of Recognition
The mental health surveyors will make a recommendation to the ACHS Council that the mental health service receive a Certificate of Recognition if they consider that the NSMHS have been satisfactorily incorporated into everyday practice. This process applies to both stand-alone mental health services and mental health services that are part of a larger organisation / health service.