Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs

Mental health, alcohol and other drug service activity

Queensland Health provides mental health clinical assessment, treatment and care, psychosocial supports, and care coordination to individuals and their families through a range of community, residential and hospital-based services. In addition, Queensland Health’s specialist alcohol and other drug services provide assessment, treatment, harm reduction and withdrawal management to people in a range of hospital and community settings.

This page provides information about the activity of Queensland Health mental health, alcohol and other drug services including referrals and the numbers of people receiving care in different settings.

Number of referrals started for mental health, alcohol and other drug services

Queensland Health mental health, alcohol and other drug services receive referrals from various sources, including self-referrals, general or private practitioners, and first responder services. Referrals are recorded in the mental health alcohol and other drug clinical information system when a clinically significant service has been provided, such as health screening, assessment, or care planning, or a provision of the Mental Health Act 2016 has been used.

This provides a broad indication of the demand for, and use of, Queensland Health mental health alcohol and other drug services. The clinical activity that occurs during the referral period informs the decision whether ongoing care is required, and if Queensland Health or another service provider is most appropriate to meet the person’s needs.

Number of people receiving mental health, alcohol and other drug services

Queensland Health provides mental health, alcohol and other drugs clinical assessment, treatment and care in a range of community, residential and hospital-based settings.

Queensland Health report data for the following types of services:

• Acute mental health inpatient: short- to medium-term assessment and treatment for people experiencing an acute episode of illness with a level of risk and/or complexity requiring a high level of care.
• Community mental health: specialist clinical assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and care coordination for people experiencing severe mental illness and people experiencing mental health crisis including suicidality.
• Community alcohol and other drug: a comprehensive range of harm reduction, treatment and rehabilitation services for people experiencing problematic substance use or dependence.
• Residential mental health: short-term treatment and psychosocial support to prevent avoidable admissions to an acute inpatient unit or readmissions following an acute episode of illness (e.g. Step-Up, Step-Down Unit) or longer-term rehabilitation (e.g. Community Care Unit). Consumers reside on an overnight basis in a domestic-like environment and take responsibility for their daily living activities.
• Extended care: ongoing assessment and non-acute treatment and rehabilitation provided on a 24-hour live-in basis for people who have complex mental health needs and/or a severe level of impairment. Extended care facilities may be provided on the grounds of a hospital, co-located with a nursing home or stand alone in the community.

The following measures present the number of people that were receiving care from a Queensland Health mental health alcohol and other drug service at the end of the quarter. This data is a point in time snapshot and does not include all people who received care during the period.

Mental health, alcohol and other drug service capability

Capability measures, including information related to staff, beds and nurse-to-patient ratios, provide an indication of Queensland Health’s ability to provide mental health, alcohol and other drug services through public hospitals, residential and community-based facilities.

Nurse-to-patient ratios in adult acute mental health wards

There is clear evidence to indicate that the number of nurses on a shift plays an important role in patient safety and quality of care. The Queensland Government legislated minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in the state’s public sector adult acute mental health wards on 15 November 2019.

For in-scope adult acute mental health wards, the Hospital and Health Boards Regulation 2023 sets minimum nurse staffing ratios at 1:4 for morning shifts, 1:4 for afternoon shifts, and 1:7 for night shifts, relative to the number of patients on the ward.

The existing industrially mandated Business Planning Framework (PDF 3162 kB) will continue to apply across all nursing and midwifery services in Queensland Health, regardless of whether a facility or ward is subject to existing nurse-to-patient ratios or minimum nurse and support worker legislation in public residential aged care facilities.