Quality Measures Database

Primary health care service provided in non-clinical settings, usually to vulnerable populations (e.g., homebased care, shelter-based care, Assertive Community Treatment teams, street nurses).
Additional Domain(s) : Continuity, Accessibility

Core Program Description:
A Community Supports Program is designed to help individuals and their support networks in managing the demands of daily life and to promote full citizenship in community. Community Supports differs from traditional mental health services through the focus of interventions and by delivery in the individuals community environment. Staff collaborate with individuals and their support network around functional goals, and provide continuous outreach and support across service settings and as needs change. The range of intensity/ frequency of service is based on need, and will vary by individual. Resources available(e.g. housing, human resources), and critical mass, may challenge health districts to create service access through partnerships or to modify model programs to their capabilities.
Community Supports include:
Case management: a collaborative process which assesses, plans
implements, coordinates, monitors and evaluates the options and services
required to meet an individuals health needs, using communication and
available resources to promote quality, cost-effective outcomes. Access is
available long term, and work with individuals primarily happens in natural
community settings. (see appendix for differentiation from outpatient services)
Assertive Community Treatment or Intensive Community Treatment Teams;
Clubhouses; Consumer and Family Initiatives; Accommodation and Equality
Initiatives; Housing, Employment and Education Supports.
Proactive outreach/case finding: interventions that will increase help-seeking
behaviour and find those who are at risk/hard to find/hard to serve.
Components included in the treatment of disruptive behaviour disorders in
children and youth may also include:
-Multi-modal approach (a combination of psychological and educational
treatments that receive empirical support for their effectiveness in addressing
the needs of the behaviourally challenged youth)
-Community-based approach (within the childs home community)
- Early intervention approach (as early as possible within the developmental
sequence of antisocial behaviour)
- Multi-systemic orientation (i.e. takes place across multiple systems including
the family, school, peer group, etc.)
- Consistent use of behavioural techniques across multiple settings
- Comprehensiveness and sustainability over time (long-term intervention for a
long-term problem)
- Maximization of protective factors (e.g. positive family functioning, child and
family resilience).

Nova Scotia Department of Health. Standards for Mental Health Services in Nova Scotia. 2003. Retrieved on July 31, 2006 from: http://www.gov.ns.ca/heal/downloads/Standards.pdf

III: Preliminary research evidence only or evidence based on consensus opinion only.

• There may need to be some training to avoid inappropriate referrals
• * Someone still needs to coordinate care and documentation or there will be duplicate or inappropriate referrals.
• Coordination and documentation should be done by support services. Referals from multiple sources very important.

Ratings-based Rank Relevance 55 Actionability 86 Overall Importance 65		Stakeholder Rank Academics 92 Clinicians 52 Consumers 15 Decision Makers 100 �		Special Group Rank First Nations 56 Rural Areas 47 Federal Stakeholders 85
Regional Rank BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL YT NT NU 72 54 45 99 50 71 93 89 44 17 69 59 65				Overall Rank        69