Mobile youth mental health outreach teams expand across Queensland

Mobile community-based outreach teams are expanding across Queensland to ensure young people experiencing severe, complex and persistent mental health problems get the help they need faster and as close to home as possible.

Minister for Health Cameron Dick said seven extra Assertive Mobile Youth Outreach Services (AMYOS) teams had been funded and two other teams expanded as part of Queensland Health’s Connecting Care to Recovery 2016-2021 plan for the state’s mental health services.

Mackay, Browns Plains, and West Moreton, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay regions will get new AMYOS teams, while two extra teams will service North and South Brisbane. Existing teams servicing Redcliffe/Caboolture and the Gold Coast will be boosted with extra positions.

“Since their introduction in 2014, AMYOS teams in the greater Brisbane area, Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Gold Coast and Rockhampton have supported almost 300 young people and their families,” Mr Dick said.

“With these latest additions to the AMYOS network, Queensland families will be supported by 16 teams based in 12 hospital and health services across the State.

“These multidisciplinary AMYOS teams provide specialised, targeted and recovery-oriented mental health care and treatment to our most vulnerable young people and their families who have previously been unable to engage with or access mental health treatment.

“By bringing care and support direct to young people in their home or community, this vital service is particularly effective in helping young people who are high risk and difficult to engage in traditional clinic-based services.

“Furthermore, clinical reviews have shown that mobile youth outreach services result in greater engagement in treatment by young people, therefore improving outcomes.”

“They have also been effective in significantly lowering the risk of harm to self and others, and in reducing the number of admissions and lengths of stay in hospitals.”

AMYOS are delivered by teams of multidisciplinary mental health clinicians under the clinical leadership of a child and youth psychiatrist.

The services are administered by Children’s Health Queensland’s Child and Youth Mental Health Service as part of its statewide adolescent extended treatment program’s continuum of care.

Children’s Health Queensland’s CYMHS also provide statewide clinical supervision, training and education to support the AMYOS model.

Media contact:  Anika Hume 0447 320 039