Mental health triage explained

Mental health triage is a clinical function conducted at the point of entry to health services that aims to assess and classify the urgency and priority of action of mental health related problems. Mental health triage services may be located in the Emergency Department, community or outpatient facilities, on a telephone support line, or in a facility with other specialist mental health services.

References

• Sands, N. (2007). Mental health triage: Caring for the Australian Community. Issues, 80, p35-38.
• Sands, N. (2007). An ABC approach to assessing the risk of violence at triage. Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal, 10, 107-109.
• Sands, N. (2007). Assessing the risk of suicide at triage. Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal. 10, 161– 163
• Sands, N., Mental health triage nursing: An Australian Perspective. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 2004. 11:p 150-155.
• Sands, N., (2006). Mental health triage: Toward a model for nursing practice. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 14, 243-249.
• Gerdtz, M.F, J. Considine, N. Sands, D. Crellin, W. Pollock and C. Steward. (2007). Triage Education Resource Kit. Canberra.
• Mental Health Triage Education University of Melbourne https://web.archive.org/web/20081006051907/http://www.cpn.unimelb.edu.au/PDF/Mental%20Health%20Triage%20Training%20Brochure.pdf