Treatment Plans

The Mental Health Act 1986 (the Act) provides a legislative framework for the care, treatment and protection of people with mental illness.  Amendments to the Act that came into effect on 6 December 2004 require that each patient under the Act must have a treatment plan.

The Chief Psychiatrist has developed a guideline, Treatment Plans under the Mental Health Act 1986 - Department of Health, August 2009, PDF file 222KB) to:

• Provide information about section 19A of the Mental Health Act 1986 that introduces treatment plans.
• Provide area mental health services with a policy framework in which to develop and implement treatment plans.

The Chief Psychiatrist has developed the following templates for use by services in the preparation of treatment plans:

Sample treatment plan for involuntary, security and forensic patients (PDF file 112KB)

Sample treatment plan for voluntary patients (PDF file 39KB)

Sample treatment plan for young persons (PDF file 39KB)

Forums

In July 2006, the Chief Psychiatrist hosted a form on Treatment Plans: can we do better? This was followed on 26 August 2009 by a second forum on Treatment Planning, the Mental Health Review Board and the Charter.

Both forums were attended by around 140 clinicians, carers, consumers and others including representatives from the Mental Health Review Board.

The August 2009 forum provided a welcome opportunity to remind services of their obligations under the Mental Health Act and the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities and to encourage best practice in developing treatment plans in collaboration with consumers and carers. In the wake of the forum the Mental Health Review Board and the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist prepared a joint Discussion Paper on Mental Health Review Board hearings, Treatment Plans and other Mental Health Act issues: implications for Mental Health Services of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (PDF file 87KB), which provides further comment on some of the issues raised during the forum.