Youth mental health services

Mental Health Unit – youth

This 14-bed unit provides a statewide inpatient service to young people ages 16–24 and has 14 beds for young people with acute mental health conditions (conditions that require immediate treatment). This may be a young person’s first mental health experience, a repeat episode or worsening symptoms of a condition. Young people usually come into the Youth Unit by transfer from service such as a community mental health service and/or an emergency department.

This unit is located in the Fiona Stanley Hospital Mental Health Service.

Treatment is provided for mental health issues such as:

• anxiety
• mood problems
• emerging psychosis
• enduring emotional distress and behavioural issues.

Young people with co-occurring physical health problems or issues related to alcohol and drugs are also welcomed.

The unit provides the following services:

• assessment and diagnosis
• management and treatment of mental health symptoms
• individual, family and group interventions
• teaching and school liaison
• referral to community treatment options.

The Youth Unit provides assessment and treatment for young people in collaboration with their families and community supports. Both voluntary and involuntary patients (under the Mental Health Act 2014 WA) are admitted to the Youth Unit.

The team consists of a multi-disciplinary group of health professionals including:

• consultant psychiatrists
• psychiatric medical registrars
• medical officers
• clinical psychologists
• clinical neuropsychologist
• social workers
• occupational therapists
• mental health nurses
• allied health assistants
• teachers.

Length of inpatient stay may vary according to individual clinical need.

Youth Hospital in The Home

The Youth Hospital in The Home (Y-HiTH) service provides acute, hospital standard mental health care at home to eligible young people aged 16 – 24 as an alternative to going to or staying in hospital.

The service acts as a step between being admitted to hospital and community care.

Read about the Y-HiTH service.

Youth Community Assessment and Treatment Team (YCATT)

YCATT is a community based service providing a client-centred and recovery-focused approach to youth mental health care for 16–24 year olds that are at higher risk of developing mental health issues or experiencing emerging psychosis, mood issues, anxiety or distress and behavioural issues.

YCATT works with young people using a range of interventions to improve their mental health and their links with the community. It provides community based assessment and intensive case management for a six week period. The service is time limited; provides assessment, intensive care coordination and a range of interventions to improve the consumer’s mental health.

YCATT also works to establish links with community mental health organisations to support long term recovery. The YCATT team ensures continuity of care across both inpatient and community based services if required.

Services include:

• assessment
• case management and treatment of mental health symptoms
• referral to other appropriate services
• establishing links with long term community mental health supports
• school liaison.

The YCATT team includes:

• consultant psychiatry
• psychiatric registrars
• mental health nurses
• social worker
• clinical psychologist
• liaison teacher.

Consumers can access the community service through:

• self-referral
• GP referral
• referral by a Community Managed Organisation

• via a school, preferably by the school nurse or psychologist.

To be eligible for the service the consumer must be:

• aged 16 – 24 years
• live within the south metropolitan catchment area (other areas on a case-by-case basis)
• experiencing a decline in daily activities
• requiring immediate mental health support.

Staff from the School of Special Educational Needs: Medical and Mental Health (SSEN:MMH) provide educational support to school aged young people in the Youth Unit and YCATT from both public and non-government schools. Links are forged with schools, regional staff and external agencies. 

Schools can find more information on these services in the Youth Mental Health Service – information for schools flyer (PDF 1.2MB).

Follow up

All students who experience a mental health issue need support within their school and community environment. When discharged from the unit, adjusting to life back at home and school can take time and may be stressful. Prior to discharge, an assessment is made regarding the level of support a young person will require when transitioning back to the community. In circumstances where education or mental health supports are required, the Youth Unit will contact the school via a phone call. Routine post discharge contact occurs for patients within seven days for follow up.

The best outcomes for young people are achieved with participation from schools, families and the young person. Please note that the unit does not inform the school about discharge plans or the needs of patients in every case.

Risk management

Within the school setting it may be necessary for further risk assessments and risk management planning or review. Information, guidelines and templates can be found in the School Response and Planning Guidelines for Students with Suicidal Behaviour and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury.

Risk assessments are ongoing throughout a young person’s stay in the Youth Unit. Some young people will present with ongoing chronic risk. If following a risk assessment clinicians form a view that there was immediate or chronic risk to patients or others, the patient would not be discharged without suitable supports in place and appropriate communication of this risk.

If a young person’s presentation escalates, then schools can utilise the contacts and supports listed below in addition to the School Response and Planning Guideline for Student Suicidal Behaviour and Non- Suicidal Self-Injury.

For information on bullying visit Bullying No Way (external site).

Find information on depression at beyondblue (external site).

Visit the Mental Health Commission (external site) for drugs and alcohol information.

For information on mental health visit ReachOut (external site) and headspace (external site).

Find information on sexual health at Get the facts (external site).