Initial Assessment and Referral - Decision Support Tool
A decision support tool to help you connect people with the right mental health support, quickly.
People seek mental health support through a variety of pathways. They often present with a range of interrelated factors that are important to consider when determining the most appropriate level of care.
The Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) has been designed to assist mental health referrers to document clinical decision making and find the most suitable referral services for the patient at a local level. It provides a standardised, evidence-based and objective approach to assist with mental health care recommendations. You can read more about this Department of Health, Disability and Aging initiative here.
About the Initial Assessment and Referral tool (IAR-DST)
The IAR-DST guides you to consider what information needs to be collected to conduct a holistic assessment.
Considerations include the availability of informal support (like family), life circumstances that may be impacting them, co-existing conditions, and their motivation to access supports. The information gathered is then used to recommend a service type and level of care (level of intensity) to help inform a referral decision.
Your clinical judgement, combined with the IAR-DST, will ensure the person seeking support is directed to the most appropriate care – no matter where they sit along their recovery journey.
Improve your workflow and save time
Using this support tool will help improve the efficiency of the mental health consultation, by streamlining the collection of relevant information.
Consistency across the sector
The IAR-DST is being progressively introduced across federal and state mental health services. Widespread uptake of IAR-DST means there will be consistency in the approach to assessment, referrals and service provision across the sector.
Help you refer appropriately into local services
The IAR-DST assists the stepped care approach to service delivery, which helps match people to the most appropriate services for their mental health needs.
The stepped care model comprises a continuum of interventions based on levels of resource intensity – from least to most intensive – matched to the individual’s needs. This approach also allows people to move easily between local services as their support needs change.
The Department of Health, Disability and Aging advises initial assessment should be undertaken by a health professional who is suitably qualified and experienced in mental health assessments.
Suitably qualified and experienced professionals generally include:
- General Practitioners (GPs) and other medical specialists, nurse practitioners and other clinicians trained in mental health
- Psychologists
- Mental health social workers who are members of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and certified by AASW as meeting the practice standards for mental health social workers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, Aboriginal health practitioners, Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workers trained in mental health and social and emotional wellbeing
- Psychiatrists
- Credentialled mental health nurses (specialist nurses who have been credentialled against the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses’ credentialing criteria in relation to registration, education, practice experience, professional development, and professional integrity)
- Occupational therapists who are accredited by Occupational Therapy Australia as having a minimum of two years' experience in mental health and who adhere to the Australian Competency Standards for Occupational Therapists in Mental Health
It may be appropriate to engage staff other than those listed above (i.e. non-clinical staff such as peer workers, youth workers, community support workers). See here for further details.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training in the use of the IAR-DST is offered via a two-hour online workshop nationally, which includes the review of the background, development, and use of the tool, as well as a practical component covering real-life implementation.
IAR-DST training is accredited through RACGP and ACCRM. All participants will need to self-report CPD hours. Participants will be sent a certificate of attendance and information on referral pathways specific to the Brisbane North PHN region shortly after completion of the training.
July training dates and times
Friday 4 July 10.00 am - 12.00 pm
Adaptation: Adolescent Scenario: Brandon
Register here
Thursday 10 July 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm
Adaptation: Child Scenario: Marla
Register here
Wednesday 16 July 12.00 pm - 2.00 pm
Adaptation: Older adult Scenario: Ray
Register here
Wednesday 30 July 10.00 am - 12.00 pm
Adaptation: Adult Scenario: William
Register here
Click here for further details and to register for IAR-DST training.
Click herefor the latest information.
Contact
For further information, please contact us.
Resources and links
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians within our region: the Jagera, Turrbal, Gubbi Gubbi, Waka Waka and the Ningy Ningy peoples of where we meet, work and learn. Brisbane North PHN is committed to reconciliation. Our vision for reconciliation is where the stories of our First Nations’ people are heard and shared, and networks are formed.