Shaping an innovative Model of Care for Online Youth Mental Health Services


ReachOut https://au.reachout.com/ is a national non-clinical digital mental health information and support service committed to enabling young people aged 14-25 years to connect on their terms at anytime from anywhere.

Services are designed specifically for – and with – young people.

To meet this commitment and ensure services are consistent, current, and centred on young people, ReachOut embarked on a process to document its Model of Care to provide a structured guide to service delivery for all staff.

Iota Impact partnered with ReachOut Australia to prepare a robust and clear articulation of the ReachOut Model of Care - a Model of Care also in strict alignment with the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards.

The service offering:
Service design


Background:

In 2023, all digital mental health services in Australia were moving towards national accreditation under the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards (the Standards). This was the first time digital mental health services were being assessed against the Standards.

The Standards aim to improve the quality of digital mental health service provision and to protect service users, and their support people, from harm. The three NSQDMH Standards include 59 actions related to clinical and technical aspects of digital mental health services, specifically Clinical and Technical Governance, Partnering with Consumers, and Model of Care.

The world-leading standards in digital mental health are designed to uplift service delivery and protect users from potential harm by ensuring that standards of safety and quality are met. 

The outcome:

ReachOut saw this an opportunity to ensure their innovative and youth-centred Model of Care was evidence-informed, consistent, and provided a structured guide to service delivery for all staff.

The MoC was developed with clear alignment to the NSQDMH standards with specific reference to:

  • purpose and intent of the model of care for each ReachOut service,

  • the context in which ReachOut services operate,

  • the intended user demographic,

  • monitoring and evaluation practices,

  • accountability processes for maintaining and improving the model of care, and

  • best practice and supporting policies, and evidence.

Better mental health and wellbeing for all young people.

ReachOut aim to support young people to take steps they need to connect and feel better. Services are:

  • Evidence-based

  • Co-designed

  • Value lived & living experience

  • Match young people’s digital expectations

  • Meet young people in their world

 

In February 2024, ReachOut gained accreditation under the National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health Standards (NSQDMH).

Read more on ReachOut’s website here

 

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