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Return To Programs and Departments
CLINICAL AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Rehabilitation Services
The Rehabilitation Centre is the entry point to all centralized rehabilitation services. Inpatients, registered outpatients and community referrals may access these programs and services through the centre's intake team. Currently, there are 81 outpatients registered to Rehabilitation Services. Our staff has expertise to develop realistic, outcome-oriented and individualized rehabilitation plans with individuals who have a serious mental illness. Staff also provides consultation regarding rehabilitation to many agencies and professionals in the community. Open recreation programs are offered to mental health consumers to give individuals a supported leisure/recreation opportunity.
Over the past year, collaboration with other community partners, including the Hamilton-Wentworth District Health Council, has continued with a view to exploring strategies that will meet service gaps. Initiatives from meaningful activity to employment and productivity options include:
In the year ahead, Rehabilitation Services is positioned to advocate for the services that address the unique needs of the seriously and persistently mentally ill. New initiatives and links will be explored in partnership with community agencies in order to provide an effective range of services and programs to meet client needs.
Rehabilitation Services embraces the principles of psychosocial rehabilitation and works in partnership with individuals to achieve their personal goals in day-to-day functioning, self-care, productivity, and leisure in order to participate effectively in their chosen community environments. In pursuit of their mission, a comprehensive range of services is offered in a client-centered, client-driven environment by various rehabilitation disciplines (e.g. Occupational Therapy, Recreation, Vocational, Music Therapy, and Physiotherapy). Service outcomes target assessment of function, skills development, resuming roles, and lifestyle education.
Rehabilitation Services is seen as a source of expertise in mental health. All disciplines in Rehabilitation Services are represented on the program treatment teams and also provide fieldwork placements for students from Canadian universities and colleges. As well, a number of Occupational Therapists have academic affiliations/roles with McMaster University and Mohawk College. There is a commitment to ongoing program evaluation and development and currently an important research endeavour is the development of a standardized Music Therapy assessment protocol.
Nursing Department
The Nursing Department is attempting to enhance career development by providing opportunities for professional growth and skill acquisition.
Recommendations from the Nursing Department reviews have been received and implementation decisions will be made.
The Nursing Department has an extensive communication network that enables it to monitor trends and make decisions with extremely valuable input from all members within the department. A number of nursing committees also link with other hospital committees assisting the Nursing Department in decision-making and enabling the Department to influence policy direction.
The Nursing Department consists of a variety of nursing professionals who work in both inpatient programs and community settings. In order to contribute to the implementation of mental health reform, the Nursing Department has been, through allocation of education dollars, preparing nursing staff with skills, knowledge and ability to work in the community. Nursing staff have been involved in a number of hospital community outreach projects such as the implementation of Assertive Community Treatment Teams in various locales of the catchment area.
Psychology Department
Psychology recently welcomed a psychologist on courtesy appointment to the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) program. Other longstanding staff vacancies are being addressed through the recruitment of two psychologists, now in progress.
The Psychology Department provides clinical assessment and treatment services to HPH inpatients. Specialized services include neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, and behavioural programming. Psychology also assists in the research, program development, and outcome activities of clinical programs.
Social Work Department
The Social Work Department has continued to actively play several other roles, including our continuing support of consumers, and initiatives of importance to them. These include our supportive role with the Patient Council and our role in the establishment of the Mental Health and Wellness Network. Currently, the Department is carrying a significant leadership role in various restructuring projects. The most visible of these is our leadership role in the implementation of the Comprehensive Assessment Project (CAP).
We are also involved in implementation activities in other areas such as the Joint Executive Committee/Mental Health Task Group, and the System Design Review Task Force of the Grand River District Health Council.
Our continuing leadership role in community development is seen in several areas. Most noticeable is our continuing role in the Regional Discharge Planning Task Force, and the important work it's doing in establishing a community-wide best practice approach to transition/discharge planning. The continuous effort of building and maintaining community partnerships and linkages is a staple of the Department, and covers many groups, including the immigrant and refugee community.
Social Work staff continue as active members of the multidisciplinary treatment teams on each program. They offer a comprehensive range of Social Work services, both inside and out of hospital. Several Social Work staff are seconded to other agencies, and provide their services working in conjunction with these partner agencies.
Educational Services
Many of the topic areas will continue to build on subjects outlined in last year's operating plan. Focus from initiatives such as Year 2000, restructuring, accreditation and regional system design work will mean particular influence on the following subject areas:
Over the next year it is expected that the growth of technology, in particular, the computer's role in performance support and training, will have a large impact on the way the Department does business. Helping staff access the wealth of knowledge and information available in and out of the hospital in the easiest and most relevant manner will be at the heart of all services we offer from library & media production to training & development and conference facilitation.
The importance of our four key service roles continue to be our focus:
During the next twelve months our department will be involved in designing performance support solutions that will provide the greatest impact to our organization's ability to deliver quality care services during a period of major restructuring. The Department will continue to provide the traditional resources that will help with skill and knowledge development in the mental health care services areas, and as well, develop skills that help staff maximize their contribution to the many projects and initiatives associated with the restructuring and governance change processes.
Other Clinical Support Services
HPH has high praise for its Volunteer Services. Approximately 100 volunteers provide services to patients both on-site and in community settings. As the hospital continues to move towards more community-based service, the department is focusing on training volunteers specifically to work with clients in community settings.
The hospital also has a Chaplaincy Department that provides both inpatient and outpatient services. The department has several volunteers who assist clients with reintegration back to their religious communities.
Patient Council
In 1999/2000 the Patient Council will continue to be more visible in community-based settings and do its part to make sure that services offered to clients in the community are protected during the challenging times ahead. The Patient Council is represented at the MIT-System table.
A Patient Council, established at HPH in 1996, deals with systemic issues for inpatients and outpatients of Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital. Members of the Council, currently sit on eight different hospital committees including the Community Advisory Board. As well, members also sit on community boards such as the COAST Steering Committee, and the Wellness Network. Two part-time facilitators provide day-to-day services and the Council now has representation from each of the inpatient units and each district within the catchment area. The Council is politically active and deals with issues such as homelessness, and the recent HSRC recommendations.
HOSPITAL SUPPORT SERVICES
Clinical Information Services
Pharmacy
Food and Nutrition Services
Evaluation of the need for and viability of providing community-based nutrition consultation continues to be a topic of discussion. Housekeeping Department
Plant Services
Accommodations Task Group
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For the first half of the year one of our main priorities will be to focus on the Y2K testing to ensure a smooth transition from December 1999, to January 2000. This will include the installation of a new dictating system. The service will continue to focus on assessing service priorities and continue to work with stakeholders around the outpatient information management and the inter-hospital system for exchange of patient data.
The department lead a task force that reviewed the medication distribution system. A recommendation was made to move to a One-Write system across the hospital. Implementation of that recommendation is expected to occur over the summer. The escalating costs of drugs specifically designed to treat the seriously mentally ill continue to be a pressure for the hospital.
The service continues the ongoing review of activities and general evaluation of service provided to clients. Continuous quality improvement efforts are focused on activities that are patient-centred such as selective menus for patients, tray audits, daily taste audits, patient satisfaction surveys, and clinical audits.
The recommendations from the departmental review have been reviewed by working groups in the department. Implementation is proceeding and will improve the level of service for clients.
Preventative maintenance on mechanical systems continues to be a departmental priority and is performed on a scheduled basis. Work teams plan and carry out renovation and improvement projects based on priorities that have been established to support the hospital's requirements.
Continues to address both long-and short-term accommodation needs on a planned basis in keeping with hospital priorities. It will ensure that the physical environment is supportive of the requirements of existing and proposed programs and departments including community-based locations.
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