Towards Well-being Suicide Consultation and Monitoring Programme (TWB)

Authors

Kirsty Louden, Maree Inder and Helen Charles – CASA, Boris Fejzagic - CYF

Speakers

Maree Inder and Boris Fejzagic

Organisations

Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa (CASA) and CYF

The Towards Well-being Suicide Consultation and Monitoring Programme (TWB) is a risk assessment, consultation and monitoring process established to support social workers in assessing and responding to suicide risk among young people in contact with the Department of Child Youth and Family Services (CYF). The CYF population was selected because their rate of death by suicide is approximately 15 times greater (for those under 17 years) than for their non-welfare peers.

The programme, which was initially a joint venture between CYF and Otago University, has been fully operational nationwide since 1 January 2002. As of 1 July 2005 the operational component of the programme has been provided by Clinical Advisory Services Aotearoa (CASA). To date (November 2005) there have been over 1800 referrals to the programme and currently 570 young people identified as being at moderate or serious risk of suicide are having their casework monitored and clinical advice offered to their social workers.

The programme has had favourable evaluations by three international experts in their fields looking at both practice and systems used in light of international research and best practice. It's innovative and evidence based approach has been reviewed as consistent with, if at times not leading, best practice in a number of areas. The programme is expected to contribute to the following outcomes for young persons at risk of suicide: reduction in the number of attempted and completed suicides, improved access to health and welfare services; and improved well-being and mental health for youth in contact with CYF. Evaluations of its first three years are now underway.

Alongside the more formal evaluations, the many challenges in identifying and managing risk in this high risk group of young people are continually being identified in the context of how the programme can best respond to these. This presentation will focus on the operational side of the TWB programme, specifically looking at the potential challenges associated with delivery of such a programme and how these are addressed. Feedback from CYF staff regarding their experience of the programme will also be given.

Biography

Maree Inder

BHSc DipSW MHealSc
Maree has worked as a clinical advisor for the Towards Well-being Suicide Consultation and Monitoring programme since its inception four and a half years ago and is currently Acting Clinical Manager for the programme. She also works as a Research Fellow at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Science in the Psychotherapy for Bipolar Disorder Study and is currently doing her doctorate looking at the developmental impact of Bipolar Disorder. She has worked extensively in mental health particularly in the Child and Youth Mental Health area.

Kirsty Louden

BA (Hons) MA App (Clin & comm. Psych)
Kirsty is a clinical psychologist with a background in child and adolescent and adult mental health. Her work as a clinician with adolescents, as a research assistant in depression and suicide along with her involvement with non government agencies working with youth, has led to a specialty in adolescents at risk. She has worked on the TWB programme since 2001 in both clinical advisor and project management roles. She has been in the Clinical Manager role since July 2005 and is now on maternity leave.