Working in emergency departments across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, our members report, and the data confirms, that patients presenting in crisis to emergency departments routinely experience unacceptably long waits for access to mental health care.


Nowhere Else to Go Report

Commissioned report examining why Australia’s mental health system is failing people presenting to the emergency department in mental health crisis, and the urgent reforms needed.

Mental Health in the Emergency Department - Nowhere else to go events

Following our national launch of a major report examining Australia’s mental healthcare system and urgent reforms needed, ACEM held a series of jurisdiction-based roundtable meetings across Australia.

Mental Health Working Group

The Mental Health Working Group is a new College entity reporting through the Health System Reform Committee to the Council of Advocacy Practice and Partnerships (CAPP).

Mental Health in the Emergency Department Consensus Statement

See here to read the Consensus Statement.

ACEM Statements on Mental Health

Media Releases on Mental Health

Mental Health in the Emergency Department Summit - Melbourne

ACEM hosted a Mental Health in the Emergency Department Summit on 16 October 2018 in Melbourne.

Mental Health in the Emergency Department Summit - New Zealand

On the back of the highly successful Mental Health in the Emergency Department Summit held in Melbourne in October 2018, ACEM held a follow up event in Wellington on the 7th June 2019.

Research Reports

See here for the 2017 Prevalence of Mental Health Access Block report, the 2018 The Long Wait: An Analysis of Mental Health Presentations to Australian Emergency Departments and the 2019 Mental Health Service Use: A New Zealand Context.

Resources

A range of resources related to mental health in the emergency department.

ED Mental Health (EDMH)

EDMH is a purpose built website that houses guidelines, articles, tools and resources to assist ED staff in increasing their competence and confidence in assessing and managing patients who present with mental health issues.

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