Page 62 - 2017-2018 Department of Psychiatry Annual Report

Adult General Psychiatry

Clinical Director of Adult Psychiatry: Dr. Scott Theriault

The area of adult mental health change. with a goal of providing excellence
services is a deceivingly simple and evidence-based interventions.
term for a complex array of services In the 2017-18 year, many faculty Multidisciplinary teams work towards
delivered across different sites, using members have been involved in efficient patient care aimed at
different modalities and settings, and planning at a provincial level to addressing biological, as well as
using a diverse multidisciplinary team. develop a mental health care model psychosocial needs, whether the
Adult services operate under the that can be used province-wide. presenting issue is acute crisis or
umbrella of the Nova Scotia Health Although core services delivered by a relapse of severe symptoms and
Authority with psychiatric staff being the Department of Psychiatry in the functional impairment seen in the
at the same time, members of staff Central Zone of the NSHA may only context of a major mental illness.
with the NSHA and members of the change minimally, this does present
Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie an exciting opportunity to establish There was no change in the overall
University, with its attendant focus on stronger linkages and coordination number of beds in general adult
clinical work, education and research. of services with peers in other parts inpatient psychiatry in the 2017-18
of Nova Scotia and by extension, the year, with continuing operation of the
Broadly speaking, general adult Maritimes. Mayflower unit at the Nova Scotia
services include inpatient psychiatric Hospital and 6 and 7 Lane at the
care, psychiatric emergency Readers are encouraged to peruse Abbie J Lane building. Bed pressures
services, community based mental the material below for details of some eased overall compared to previous
health services, and a recovery and of this exciting work. years, and our average length of
integration program focused on the stay is in keeping with the norms of
needs of individuals with severe Psychiatric Acute Care and other units nationally, as determined
and persistent mental disorder and Emergency Services by CIHI (Canadian Institute for
associated functional needs. Clinical Acute care encompasses a range Health Information) data, although
leadership is ably provided by deputy of services in the department from occupancy rates remain high. During
clinical directors Dr. Sonia Chehil, seeing patients in the emergency the 2017-2018 year we had 2437 ER
Dr. Jason Morrison, and Dr. Sanjana department, to providing inpatient consults and 632 admissions across
Sridharan, who work closely together psychiatric care on the acute care the units.
to ensure continuity of service and to units or the short stay unit at the
minimize challenges and obstacles Abbie J. Lane and Nova Scotia Acute care and emergency services
as clients transition from one area Hospital sites. Acute care psychiatric are led by Dr. Sanjana Sridharan
to another as their needs for care inpatient services continue to function as deputy clinical director with a
dedicated team of physicians made

62 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY