Outcomes for young people in out of home care accessing tiered mental health services in Sydney, Australia.

Young people in OOHC have complex mental health concerns, therefore the South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) has trialled a tiered model of mental health care. Under this model the OOHC mental health team (OOHC-MHT) provides specialist tier four service delivery for those with the most severe, intense mental health needs. OOHC consumers with a reduced level of severity access services at a tier three centre-based iCAMHS.

Helping Young People in Out-of-Home Care: Basic Elements.

Children and adolescents (young people) who experience maltreatment early in life and are subsequently placed in out-of-home care (OOHC) are specifically at risk for poor mental health outcomes. Although rates vary by survey and location, up to half of these young people have clinical-level mental health difficulties, and another 20% to 25% have difficulties approaching clinical significance. These difficulties are characterized by high symptom complexity and severity, and include maltreatment-related mental health symptoms.