Orygen Continuing Care is organised around streams of care including EPPIC, Youth Mood Clinic, PACE, HYPE and Eating Disorders Services, each with their own specialised, evidence-based treatment programs and research agenda. Entry into each of these programs is based upon expert clinical assessment, taking into account the severity and complexity of the young person's problems, as well as the safety of the young person and the community. Since Orygen Specialist Program is a public, government-funded service, we must give priority to those young people with the greatest clinical needs.
If the Acute Services (Triage, Youth Access Team, or Inpatient Unit) consider that a young person is likely to require continuing care, they will be booked in for a Continuing Care Team assessment. This involves a comprehensive face-to-face mental health assessment with a mental health clinician, which aims to confirm that Orygen Specialist Program is the appropriate service for the young person and to match the young person with the most appropriate stream of care. If Orygen Specialist Program is not the most appropriate service, the young person will be referred to another agency or private practitioner.
Continuing care is delivered across a range of modalities. Most treatment comprises ‘outpatient care’, which involves young people attending appointments at the Parkville Campus. A smaller number of young people receive ‘intensive outreach’, which usually involves treatment in the community. These young people usually have difficulty engaging with mental health services, who have more complex needs requiring intensive support and/or who are considered to be high risk.