St Vincent's welcomes Community Access and Assessment Team You are here:HomeNewsroomNews St Vincent's welcomes Community Access and Assessment Team 23 Mar 2021 With the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, St Vincent’s Mental Health and Homeless Health Services were amongst those who experienced a sharp increase in demand. Not only did the numbers of people requiring support significantly rise, the complexity of health and social needs necessitating specialised care has been exacerbated, given the social, physical, psychological and financial impacts of the pandemic. To address this, strong advocacy from St Vincent’s Mental Health Service led to additional funding from the Ministry of Health to enhance existing services with deeper engagement and the facilitation of a more holistic level of service. This includes the establishment of the newly formed Community Access and Assessment Team (CAAT), created specifically to compliment the care that the Mental Health and Homeless Health Case Managers provide, focussing on supporting those with particularly complex health and social needs. Following referral from the Mental Health or Homeless Health teams, CAAT provides specialist assessments for vulnerable people with an ultimate aim of hospital avoidance, diagnostic clarification, and to support appropriate referral pathways to services such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Aged Care Assessment Team and NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal Guardianship Division. The multidisciplinary team include a Team Manager, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Senior Social Worker, Senior Occupational Therapist, and a Clinical Neuropsychologist. “Although we're only just getting started, the work we will be doing in the future would not be possible without the commitment of the Mental Health and Homeless Health Case Managers, who build credibility and trust with these clients, allowing us to collaborate and be involved in their care”, said Tessa Stockburger, CAAT Manager. The new service is a first for NSW, and as the CAAT team gains momentum over the coming months to complete the healthcare cycle for some of our most vulnerable people, the potential is that this model of care will be replicated across the State. Bria Hinder, Senior Social Worker Emily Halse, Senior Occupational Therapist Tess Anderson, Clinical Nurse Specialist Leanne Kaplan, Clinical Neuropsychologist Tessa Stockburger, Manager