Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa

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dc.contributor.authorSzabo, Christopher Paul
dc.contributor.authorFine, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorMayers, Pat
dc.contributor.authorNaidoo, Shan
dc.contributor.authorZabow, Tuviah
dc.date.accessioned2021-10-08T07:04:22Z
dc.date.available2021-10-08T07:04:22Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractBACKGROUND: Mental health leadership is a critical component of patient access to care. More specifically, the ability of mental health professionals to articulate the needs of patients, formulate strategies and engage meaningfully at the appropriate level in pursuit of resources. This is not a skill set routinely taught to mental health professionals. METHODS: A public-private mental health leadership initiative, emanating from a patient access to care programme, was developed with the aim of building leadership capacity within the South African public mental health sector. The express aim was to equip health care professionals with the requisite skills to more effectively advocate for their patients. The initiative involved participants from various sites within South Africa. Inclusion was based on the proposal of an ongoing "project", i.e. a clinician-initiated service development with a multidisciplinary focus. The projects were varied in nature but all involved identification of and a plan for addressing an aspect of the participants' daily professional work which negatively impacted on patient care due to unmet needs. Six such projects were included and involved 15 participants, comprising personnel from psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy and nursing. Each project group was formally mentored as part of the initiative, with mentors being senior professionals with expertise in psychiatry, public health and nursing. The programme design thus provided a unique practical dimension in which skills and learnings were applied to the projects with numerous and diverse outcomes. RESULTS: Benefits were noted by participants but extended beyond the individuals to the health institutions in which they worked and the patients that they served. Participants acquired both the skills and the confidence which enabled them to sustain the changes that they themselves had initiated in their institutions. The initiative gave impetus to the inclusion of public mental health as part of the curriculum for specialist training. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the significant adverse social and economic costs of mental illness, psychiatric and related services receive a low level of priority within the health care system. Ensuring that mental health receives the recognition and the resources it deserves requires that mental health care professionals become effective advocates through mental health leadership.
dc.identifier.apacitationSzabo, C. P., Fine, J., Mayers, P., Naidoo, S., & Zabow, T. (2017). Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa. <i>International Journal of Mental Health Systems</i>, 11(1), 174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34491en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSzabo, Christopher Paul, Jennifer Fine, Pat Mayers, Shan Naidoo, and Tuviah Zabow "Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa." <i>International Journal of Mental Health Systems</i> 11, 1. (2017): 174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34491en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSzabo, C.P., Fine, J., Mayers, P., Naidoo, S. & Zabow, T. 2017. Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa. <i>International Journal of Mental Health Systems.</i> 11(1):174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34491en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1752-4458
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Szabo, Christopher Paul AU - Fine, Jennifer AU - Mayers, Pat AU - Naidoo, Shan AU - Zabow, Tuviah AB - BACKGROUND: Mental health leadership is a critical component of patient access to care. More specifically, the ability of mental health professionals to articulate the needs of patients, formulate strategies and engage meaningfully at the appropriate level in pursuit of resources. This is not a skill set routinely taught to mental health professionals. METHODS: A public-private mental health leadership initiative, emanating from a patient access to care programme, was developed with the aim of building leadership capacity within the South African public mental health sector. The express aim was to equip health care professionals with the requisite skills to more effectively advocate for their patients. The initiative involved participants from various sites within South Africa. Inclusion was based on the proposal of an ongoing "project", i.e. a clinician-initiated service development with a multidisciplinary focus. The projects were varied in nature but all involved identification of and a plan for addressing an aspect of the participants' daily professional work which negatively impacted on patient care due to unmet needs. Six such projects were included and involved 15 participants, comprising personnel from psychiatry, psychology, occupational therapy and nursing. Each project group was formally mentored as part of the initiative, with mentors being senior professionals with expertise in psychiatry, public health and nursing. The programme design thus provided a unique practical dimension in which skills and learnings were applied to the projects with numerous and diverse outcomes. RESULTS: Benefits were noted by participants but extended beyond the individuals to the health institutions in which they worked and the patients that they served. Participants acquired both the skills and the confidence which enabled them to sustain the changes that they themselves had initiated in their institutions. The initiative gave impetus to the inclusion of public mental health as part of the curriculum for specialist training. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the significant adverse social and economic costs of mental illness, psychiatric and related services receive a low level of priority within the health care system. Ensuring that mental health receives the recognition and the resources it deserves requires that mental health care professionals become effective advocates through mental health leadership. DA - 2017 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town IS - 1 J1 - International Journal of Mental Health Systems LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2017 SM - 1752-4458 T1 - Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa TI - Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34491 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/34491
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSzabo CP, Fine J, Mayers P, Naidoo S, Zabow T. Mental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa. International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 2017;11(1):174 - 177. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/34491.en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDivision of Nursing and Midwifery
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciences
dc.sourceInternational Journal of Mental Health Systems
dc.source.journalissue1
dc.source.journalvolume11
dc.source.pagination174 - 177
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13033-017-0160-4
dc.subject.otherMental health
dc.subject.otherLeadership
dc.subject.otherSouth Africa
dc.titleMental health leadership and patient access to care: a public–private initiative in South Africa
dc.typeJournal Article
uct.type.publicationResearch
uct.type.resourceJournal Article
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