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The Brain Disorders Programme of Victoria (Australia) was initially set up to provide assessment, treatment and secondary consultation for patients aged 16-65 with a dual diagnosis of: Brain Impairment
Traumatic, Hypoxic, Neurodegenerative, StrokeAND Psychiatric Illness
Major mental illness, including disorders of behavioural dyscontrolMore recently the programme has expanded to include individuals with ABI who suffer from a range of challenging behavioural disturbances that may not necessarily meet standard criteria for mental illness. Components of programmeIn its current configuration, the programme consists of following parts: - The BDP Community Service, comprising of: CBDATS & the ABI Behaviour Consultancy. These teams have separate though overlapping functions, and together provide a wide range of community-based services to individuals, their families, carers, and to their service providers. There is a common point of intake for these teams and each referral is examined carefully before being allocated to the appropriate team. The most notable difference between the two teams is that (a) CBDATS focuses mainly on individuals that have a mental illness and therefore reports to the mental health branch of DHS, while (b) the ABI Behaviour Consultancy focuses mainly on individuals who have behavioural disorders but do not meet criteria for a major mental illness, and therefore report to the disability branch of DHS.
- MARY GUTHRIE HOUSE ( or "Brain Disorders Unit" or "BDU"): This in an inpatient slow-stream rehabilitation service that is divided in two components:
- HEATH UNIT: 10 gazetted psychiatric beds under the Victorian Mental Health Act (1986) for patients with severe brain injury and psychiatric disturbance requiring a rehabilitation period of approximately 6 months.
- WATTLE PROTEA UNIT: 20 transitional "nursing home" beds for patients who meet criteria for nursing home placement under the Aged Care Act (1987) and also have a combination of severe brain injury and psychiatric disturbance requiring slow-stream rehabilitation. Admission length in this group tends to be in the order of 18 months, or until the patient is able to be managed in a less restrictive setting.
- "STEP 2": The 3-bed community integration unit aimed to equip residents with skills needed to live in the community.
Philosophy of serviceThe service is underlined by some key principles, including: - Holism: taking into account biological, psychological and social factors in the assessment and management of its patients, and avoiding conceptual or diagnostic splits between "brain injury" and "mental illness".
- Collaboration: embracing the multidisciplinary and interagency liaison approach.
- Optimism: focusing as much as possible on what can be done (as opposed to can't be done), fostering strengths and discouraging stigma.
- Individualism: focusing on the uniqueness of each patient in spite of acknowledging the common factors within the greater patient group.
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