Specialist Maternal Mental Health Service
Specialist Maternal Mental Health Service (SMMHS)
SMMHS is a regional service to C&CDHB, Hawke’s Bay, Tairawhiti, Whanganui, Wairarapa & MidCentral For :
- Consultation/liaison and specialist advice
- Telephone and video conferencing
- Specialist consultation clinics
- Site visits
- Regional education/training
Education and training is provided to Mental Health Services in the Central Region and to local primary and secondary health providers (e.g. GPs, Midwives, Plunket, Wellchild Nurses, Women’s Health and other relevant hospital services, NGOs) by negotiation.
Objective
- To provide a regional specialist peri-natal mental health service to women in the Central Region via direct care in the community, consultation, liaison, education and training for other health providers involved in their care.
Referral criteria:
For specialist clinical input:
- Women who are pregnant, or up to nine months postnatal at point of referral, with an associated moderate-severe mood or psychotic disorder
- Women who are planning pregnancy with a history of enduring mental illness
For consultation, liaison, education and training (in addition to the above):
- Women with mild-moderate disorders
Location
|
Hania Street, Wellington Telephone 04 8012960 |
Team Leader Cindy Smith cindy.smith "at" ccdhb.org.nz |
Regional Liaison Person Fiona Martin fiona.martin "at" ccdhb.org.nz |
Training
We deliver a range of workshops and education sessions throughout the Lower North Island Central Region and usually adapt these to suit the requirements of the intended audience. The following list is a sample of previous session topics - These can be combined or new ones developed as required:
- Overview of services delivered by SMMH – history and development
- Overview of the range of mental health disorders associated with pregnancy and the post- natal period (including classification, aetiology, course, risk, explanatory frameworks)
- Specific disorders in depth including -
* peri-natal depression
* post-partum post traumatic stress disorder (including postnatal debriefing and processing)
* post-natal psychosis best practice
* anxiety disorders in pregnancy - especially related to maternal transition
- managing pre-existing mental health disorders in pregnancy and post-natally
- Attachment relationships – theory and practice, including specialist assessment and interventions such as Watch, Wait, and Wonder
- Screening, referral, assessment, and intervention - including use of specific tools such as the EPDS
- Primary care roles and management
- Medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding – an update
- Local resources and services – a facilitated networking meeting
- Group work as a treatment modality
How to refer
Referrals are accepted from mental health professionals, lead maternity carers (GPs and midwives), and other relevant health service providers e.g. from the Women’s Hospital, Neonates.
Referrers should complete the standard 2-page C&C DHB MHS Referral form. It is helpful to include a complete Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale (EPDS) if indicated. This form can be faxed or posted. Telephone referrals are also acceptable.
Clinical referrals are scanned daily by the duty worker for acuity, completeness of information and appropriateness in terms of defined service parameters, and triaged at the weekly referral/allocation meeting.
Clinicians within the team
We are small multi-disciplinary team comprised of all the major disciplines in mental health, including a parent-infant psychotherapist. We have 5.2 clinical FTE resources, comprised of eight different people.