1. PORT ALBERNI HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAM Sept 2012
AHAs! And OH NOs!
PORT ALBERNI
HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAM
Sept 2012

2. One of our early PDSA’s was adding a MHAS nurse to our team
One of our early PDSA’s was adding a MHAS nurse to our team. Great idea, with good reviews by all the team.

3. First Assignment:
Started out doing case management for those clients whose mental health issues and/or problematic substance use seriously interfered with successful HIV disease management

4. Ahhaas….. Amazing successes with the assigned clients
Effective harm reduction approach to safer substance use
Better housing
Better social interaction
All on meds, attending appointments, lab, etc.
Able to mentor other staff in knowledge and skill acquisition
Served as a link to mainstream MHAS services.

5. But not all was perfect – room for change

6. OH NO’s
Many other clients with mental health and addictions issues had needs that were not being addressed.
Clients still failing to connect to mainstream MHAS services
Inability to respond in a timely way to clients in crisis

7. Moving Ahead
PDSA # 1:
Management of the high needs clients has been handed back to other team members with the MHAS nurse available for consultation or assistance as needed.

8. PDSA # 2:
MHAS nurse has moved her desk away from the HOP office and back to the MHAS office in order to be more connected to that team and assist in transitioning the MHAS team from an office focus to an outreach focus. This makes more members of the team available for street outreach work on any given day and more staff are available to collaborate with the HOP team on case management.

9. PDSA # 3:
She is systematically assessing the mental health and addictions support needs of all of our HIV clients and working with them to identify and connect to appropriate supports or working with them herself on self-management (harm reduction) planning.

10. THANKS FOR LISTENING