Specialist Intellectual Disability Outreach Service
Northern Sydney Intellectual Disability Health Service (NSIDHS) outreaches to Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) in partnership with LHD Specialist Intellectual Disability Health Clinician (SIDHC).
NSIDHS and our local clinician work in collaboration to:
- develop links to people with intellectual disability, carers and families
- partner with health and community organisations to support service delivery and engagement
- enhance coordination of health services
- improve health outcomes and access to mainstream health services for people with intellectual disability.
Children, adolescents and adults with a complex health problem or chronic health need who:
- have a current unresolved health problem
- have health care needs that cannot be met by usual care providers and pathways
- have an existing primary treating clinician/team to implement care plan recommendations and follow up with care.
For eligible clients the team provides:
- comprehensive assessments
- a report outlining a treatment plan and recommendations
- engagement with primary treating physician/referring clinician to discuss recommendations.
Care is returned to referring clinician, as NSIDHS will not provide routine reviews. Further support relating to implementation of recommendations may be provided by the team and/or local ID clinician where required and agreed by NSLHD and ID clinician.
Service is provided via a combination of telehealth and face to face clinics.
Telehealth consultations are available monthly (one paediatric and one adult service each month) and three face to face clinics are conducted each year.
Provides support to clinical teams caring for people with intellectual disability across the MNCLHD. The position also assists the specialist team in developing and delivering outreach services in the District.
SIDHC provides consultation and advice on the management of people with intellectual disability in a hospital setting such as:
- attending case conferences/ reviews
- strategies for reasonable adjustments to better meet the needs of people with Intellectual disability accessing health services
- supporting clinicians to build confidence and skills in delivering patient care to people with intellectual disability
- supporting complex discharge planning for people with intellectual disability, especially those who have changed support needs
- supporting the referral process for complex patients to specialist outreach IDHS.
Referral for the specialist outreach service is from medical officers, GPs and pediatricians who require the team to provide a:
- second opinion
- additional information and advice on management of complex presentations
- advice through a joint consultation.