Dr J N Scott	Psychiatry of Old Age
Dr S J Cooper	General Adult Psychiatry
Dr C Kelly	Liaison Psychiatry/General Adult Psychiatry
Dr R Ingram	Primary Care/Psychosexual
Dr M Doherty	General Adult Psychiatry

The South Belfast Mental Health Directorate is jointly managed by the Belfast City Hospital Trust and South East Belfast Trust and has a central role in providing treatment and care for people whose lives have been affected by mental illness. Multi-disciplinary (MDT) staff provide both hospital and community services for residents of South Belfast. They network and work in partnership with primary care, voluntary and statutory mental health organisations and work towards a collaborative continuum of integrated services. This Directorate has a reputation for quality in care, innovation in evidence-based practice and a demonstrable interest in developing new roles for mental health practitioners.

Involvement of carers and users in practice development and service planning has contributed significantly to the ongoing development of a needs-led service.

The development of new team working structures within the past year has lead to the development of teams who operate in hospital, progressing to day hospital and into community. The multi-professional teams include experienced psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and mental health nurses.

To provide an effective, responsive and quality person-centred mental health service to the adult population of South Belfast that:

• involves and empowers individuals, their carers and their communities

• provides effective assessment, diagnosis, treatment and appropriate follow-up

• fulfils statutory functions and protects rights of patients and their carers

• maximises and utilises appropriately the individual and collective skills and expertise of staff

• ensures a broad-based holistic approach to care and treatment

• builds and maintains effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and local communities

• considers users and carers as partners in the planning and delivery of services

• challenges existing practices, continues to learn, develop and strive for excellence.

This unit offers acute mental health care to both male and female adults (18 years old +) with a variety of mental illnesses from anxiety and depression to conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, social workers and occupational therapists contributes to an integrated approach of care planning, implementation, review and discharge to appropriate follow-up services.

This unit offers up to 20 places per day for those people in need of a continuation from in-patient care and focuses on providing mental health services to individuals on a day-to-day basis. The Day Hospital also operates as an alternative to hospital admission and helps the individual to remain in the community. Mental health nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, psychologists and social workers all contribute to multidisciplinary care. The individual works towards recovery by attending appropriate daily programmes of care ranging from individual psychotherapy to groupwork. The unit provides sessions relating to the development of social and reintegration skills with an emphasis on mental health promotion.

This unit offers day care for elderly patients suffering from illnesses such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease and memory loss. A MDT approach includes input from medical, nursing, social work and occupational therapy staff. This group of elderly people are safely managed on a daily basis providing respite for their carers and offering medication management, social and recreational therapies.

This MDT was established in May 2003 in partnership with the South and East Community Trust and provides a mental health community service to those people experiencing severe mental illness including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression. The MDT consists of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses who co-ordinate services on a needs-led basis. A biopsychosocial approach of care is offered to this group of individuals who also benefit from support to their carers. Key workers within the team can access a range of community services including supported accommodation, statutory and voluntary services.

This team which was also set up in May 2003 in partnership with the South and East Community Trust, offers a MDT approach to people with mental health difficulties in the community. The MDT comprises psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and social workers. The team works in partnership with GPs in providing appropriate services including sessions based in health centres and in the patient’s own home. Key workers can access a range of community based statutory and voluntary services to provide needs-led care and have links with the crisis intervention team.

This service is designed to provide rapid access to psychiatric services for patients in A & E and in general hospital wards who have deliberately self harmed and/or may have an underlying mental illness as well as physical health problems. The Liaison Service also provides advice to staff in the general wards on the management of patients with mental health problems. The MDT comprises a consultant psychiatrist, specialist registrar, nursing and social work staff.

While this is a limited service, staff work with young adults (18-30 years) who have experienced a first episode psychosis. The multi-disciplinary team members work with these individuals and offer appropriate services from admission to hospital to community living. Needs-led care includes medication management, social skills development and psychological approaches to dealing with symptoms of illness. There is an emphasis on recovery and a holistic approach extends to working with families and carers of these young adults.

A team of six consultant psychiatrists together with psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers and nursing staff provide outpatient clinics based at Windsor House.

Clinical Psychology - Lead Clinical Psychologist in Mental Health - Dr Carol Carton

This service consists of 4.5 wte chartered clinical psychologists and one assistant to meet the needs of clients with complex psychological difficulties. A specialist service is offered to neuropsychology clients. A range of evidence based therapies eg CBT, CAT, SCHEMA THERAPY etc are offered as well as research, clinical audit work and supervision. Service developments are user-led. Our emphasis is on community partnerships.

Occupational Therapy provides an important service in offering assessment and interventions of social and recreational need. They also work with MDT staff to provide a holistic approach to treatment and participate in job clubs to help and support the individual to return to study or work. Occupational Therapy services are provided through the Windsor Acute Team.

This is a regional service with a MDT including consultant psychiatrist, social worker, nursing staff and a specialist registrar.

This is a new service presently being developed following the retirement of the previous consultant neuropsychiatrist. Based at Windsor House, it will provide consultant psychiatrist sessions for inpatients and outpatients based at Windsor House, BCH, as well as the Regional Brain Injury Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital and Liaison Neuropsychiatry at the RVH/BCH. Sessions will also be provided to the Maine Neurobehavioural Unit, South and East Belfast Trust. There will also be sessions to specifically support the Community Brain Injury Teams in the EHSSB area as well as the Skills Development Day Unit at Mourne Unit, Knockbracken Health Care Park.

A carer advocate employed by CAUSE is based in Windsor House. She advocates on behalf of carers and also attends practice development and service planning meetings. She has been involved in staff recruitment and participates in all mental health forums within the Mental Health Directorate.

Development of a S.H.A.R.E. group is ongoing with a patient representative based at the day hospital on a weekly basis and representation at practice development and service planning both locally and within the Board area.

Consultants: