On this page

1. Aim of the clinical community of practice
2. Governance
3. Clinical leads
4. Information sharing
5. This community of practice scope is not
6. Membership
7. Frequency of the community of practice
8. Guidelines and resources
   

Aim of the clinical community of practice

Mental Health will provide an opportunity for sharing of ideas, strategies, local solutions and concerns with respect to COVID-19 pandemic preparedness.

The Mental Health Community of Practice will be multidisciplinary and include representation from all districts and networks. It will enable clinicians and clinical managers in mental health from all districts and networks to provide expert advice and guidance to the system, and to escalate matters that require a statewide or system response.

The aim of these sessions is to:

• support clinicians to network and share strategies, local solutions and issues with respect to pandemic preparedness for mental health
• identify, prioritise and escalate issues related to COVID-19 which are actually or potentially affecting clinicians providing mental health care that require a statewide or system response
• review and provide expert clinical advice on guidelines, resources and other information
• share Ministry of Health approved advice and resources on the response to COVID-19 that can be circulated within all districts and networks.

Governance

• Executive sponsor: Deb Willcox, Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Planning
• Clinical leads:
  • Dr Murray Wright, Chief Psychiatrist, NSW Ministry of Health
  • Dr Nick O'Connor, Clinical Lead Patient Safety Program, Clinical Excellence Commission
• Community of practice contact: Deborah Howe - Deborah.Howe@health.nsw.gov.au

Issues, concerns or advice in relation to the mental health COVID-19 response can be notified to the Mental Health Community of Practice at MOH-MH-COVID@health.nsw.gov.au.

Mental Health will escalate issues raised by the Mental Health Community of Practice to Strategic Reform and Planning.

Collated issues/advice will be escalated by Ms Willcox through to the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) and/or the State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC) as appropriate.

PHEOC and SHEOC responses will be provided to Strategic Reform and Planning and then to the community of practice secretariat(s).

Weekly community of practice updates will be provided to NSW Health Chief Executives.

Clinical leads

Each community of practice will have a clinical lead appointed by Deb Willcox, Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Planning.

The clinical leads will:

• assist with the facilitation of the community of practice
• work with clinical peers in the districts and networks to share ideas and develop appropriate response strategies
• provide expert advice and guidance to the system and Ministry of Health as required
• escalate relevant matters to the Ministry of Health that require a statewide or system response
• provide expert advice to respond to media enquiries.

Information sharing

The Mental Health Community of Practice is reliant on the open communication and sharing of information across the system and therefore supports in principle:

• the assumption that materials and documents circulated by the Mental Health Community of Practice are able to be passed to other relevant stakeholders
• that where material and documents are unable to be shared these will be clearly marked as not for circulation and this will be respected,
• that mental health directors and clinical directors have processes in place to ensure that information from the Mental Health Community of Practice is appropriately promulgated.

This community of practice scope is not

The Mental Health Community of Practice is not a group which is able to endorse statewide changes or make decisions that impact a unit or system or allocate funding to recommendations.

The Mental Health Community of Practice is not a group which is able to make decisions in relation to operational matters within a district or network. Operational matters that require escalation should be directed through district or network governance processes.

Membership

This Mental Health Community of Practice is open to mental health directors and clinical directors (or their delegates). At a minimum it will include representation from all districts and networks. However, membership may be extended and changed as required.

If you would like to contact the Mental Health community of practice please reach out to your mental health director or clinical director and then send your query to MOH-MH-COVID@health.nsw.gov.au.

Frequency of the community of practice

Fortnightly on a Wednesday, 12pm-2pm using Skype for Business. Skype for Business details will be attached to the calendar invite.

Guidelines and resources