Police and Clinician
Emergency Response
(MWPACER)
Welcome
What is PACER?What
is PACER?
PACER is an early intervention and in-situ assessment model of
persons presenting as mentally ill.
It is a collaborative approach by Police, Clinicians and Hospital to
resolve incidents involving the mentally ill.
The need for a PACER
Whatunit
is
PACER?
• Increase in Section 351’s to Emergency
Department
• Increase time of Police waiting for
assessments in ED
• ECATT unable to meet demands
• Interagency relationships deteriorating
What is PACER?
The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report Responding to
Mental Health Crises in the Community (2009) commended
the collaborative and innovative model of PACER,
recommending that “All agencies continue collaborative
innovation by: continuing the PACER trial and acting on its
evaluation; and focusing on opportunities to address issues
particular to regional/rural areas.”
What is PACER?
An independent evaluation commissioned by the Department of Health and
conducted by Allen Consulting Group (April 2012) identified the service delivery
benefits of PACER as:
• clearance of the first responder unit on average in one third of the time for
usual service provision;
• improved agency information sharing and communication;
• lower incidence of use of force associated with mental health crises;
• improved use of agency resources including ambulance as the preferred mode
of transport and avoidance of Emergency Department presentations;
• fewer referrals to Emergency Departments accompanied by increased direct
referrals to psychiatric facilities;
• reduced length of stay in hospital emergency departments
The need for a PACER
the West
Whatunit
is inPACER?
26% of admissions resulted from S.10/351 presentations. Evidence
suggests that a different outcome had an alternative process been
available that:
• Did not require the removal of the patient from their home
environment
• Did not require the patient to be held in ED for a prolonged period
How does it work?
What
is PACER?
• A senior clinician working with a police officer as a
secondary response unit
• Afternoon shift 1500-2330, 7 days per week
• Covering the Brimbank and Melton catchment area
(service population of approx. 300,000 people),
serviced by the Sunshine Hospital Emergency
Department
• Responds to all Section 351 presentations
• Has priority access to specified psychiatric beds
Objectives
What is PACER?
• Provide comprehensive psychiatric assessment of
section 351 presentations in the community
• Reduce the amount of time Police operational units
spend with people presenting with mental health and
risk issues
• Reduce section 351 presentations to the Sunshine
Hospital Emergency Department
• Promote a collaborative approach to persons
experiencing mental health issues
• Facilitate direct admissions into psychiatric inpatient
units
MWPACER EarlyWhat
Resultsis
PACER?
• Increase in re-referral to other services including GP,
psychiatrist and other agencies from pre-MWPACER.
• Improved relationships with service involved, particularly
police and clinical staff
• Improved patient outcomes, appropriate access to
psychiatric admission, referral to appropriate agencies,
unnecessary apprehension, detention, restraint etc.
• Improved access to information and effective
communication and consitency between agencies
•
MWPACER EarlyWhat
Resultsis
PACER?
MWPACER EarlyWhat
Resultsis
PACER?
Keys from a Vic
Pol perspective
What
is PACER?
• This program works – it must continue
• The embedded clinician
What are the details?