Communications

Shared communication is the cornerstone of integration. It is essential to share information about clients – including treatment plans, referral pathways, case conferencing and shared care planning. Interpersonal communication builds team cohesion and trust and is just as vital, though its impact easily be underestimated. Communication between organisational partners requires thoughtful consideration and a deliberate allocation of time and effort.
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How to Use This Section

Download the resource toolkit and refer to the Implementation Guidance documentation (4a) for best practice advice and complete the Actions Checklist (4b) as you continue implementation and evaluation of your progress. There is also a helpful Template for Youth Mental Health Referral Pathways (4c).

Communications Implementation Guidance

Establish joint meetings

To improve communication across the youth mental health service landscape, establish communication channels and regular meetings at the strategic and operational level, including clinical review meetings and case conferences. This process requires managers’ and clinicians’ time, but reduces service duplication and streamlines referrals.

Build information sharing systems

There are many ways to share client information, including through the electronic medical record (eMR), unified consent processes and common client-facing documentation. Key enablers of effective sharing include:

  • Routine consent to share client information at intake
  • High-quality clinical documentation and processes to share summaries, updates and treatment plans with partners at admission, discharge or 90-day review
  • Standardised measures in shared handovers

A streamlined information infrastructure can also allow your partners to share virtual tools, training and development resources and administrative functions, depending on the scale and complexity of your collaboration.

Formalise referral pathways

Referral pathways ensure continuity of care as a young person moves between and within services to achieve their goals. Creating and sharing a diagram of your services network and how they manage inter-network client referrals can increase staff understanding of how your network functions, which in turn can promote consistency and efficiency.

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