Aim
Zero Suicides in Care in New South Wales aims to improve the care for people at risk of suicide who have contact with public health services. This includes development of an evidence-informed suicide care pathway. The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has extended this and worked with people with lived experience to develop a Consumer and Carer Suicide Care Pathway journey resource.
Method
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District formed a working group on the 21st of June 2021 to develop the clinical Suicide Care Pathway. This working group consisted of mental health clinicians and people with lived experience as consumers and carers. In November 2021 the clinical Suicide Care Pathway began implementation. Discussions with lived experience began on the need for a Consumer and Carer Suicide Care Pathway journey resource to provide transparency of the pathway process. A lived experience working group was established and a resource was developed to reflect the components of the clinical pathway and provide a shared understanding of care. This was completed in March 2023.
Results
The Consumer and Carer Suicide Care Pathway journey resource outlines key components of care; early identification of suicidality, assessment, formulation, a decision point, brief intervention for all, follow up requirements and transfer of care phases. These are the same components as the clinical pathway but provided in non-clinical language with clear information on the consumers choices and the process that will occur. The resource is on posters within all of Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health Districts Emergency Department waiting rooms with QR codes to take the person to the Consumer and Carer Suicide Care Pathway journey resource. These are located on the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health Districts internet page. A paper copy is also supplied to the person upon their first interaction with the mental health emergency department clinical nurse consultant.
The fundamental principles of the pathway are the need for a person-centered approach to care and a therapeutic relationship between the clinician and the individual. The Consumer and Carer Suicide Care Pathway journey resource is the first of its kind in Australia.
Conclusion
The Consumer and Carer Suicide Care Pathway journey resource has created a consistent language for the required components of care for people coming to the mental health service with suicidality. It has enabled greater transparency and sharing of information between clinician and the consumers and carers.