Service Title:

Specialist Maternal Mental Health Service, Capital Coast District Health Board

Service Details:

Specialist Maternal Mental Health
21 Hania Street
Mt Victoria
Wellington
Tel: 04 801 2960 Fax: 04 801 2969

Staffing:

Multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals including: Psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, psychiatric nurses, occupational therapist, infant psychotherapist, social worker.

Service Focus:

To provide a regional specialist perinatal mental health service to women in the Wellington and Central regions, via direct care in the community, and consultation/liaison and education/training for other health providers involved in their care.

Types of Service:

Services provided to all the region:

1. Consultation/liaison and specialist advice: to Regional DHBs, and health providers,
2. Telephone and video conferencing
3. Regional education/training.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­To Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti, and Hutt Valley - in addition to the above. Specialist clinical input/advice for:

1. Women with a moderate-severe mood or psychotic disorder, living in the greater Wellington region
2. Women with a history of same planning pregnancy
4. Specialist assessment (NB. we do not provide a same-day acute assessment service for first presentations)
5. Treatment planning – outlining options and available resources, and developing individualised plans for ante and post-natal mental health, including strategies to manage maternal tasks and roles.
6. Treatment delivery – may include care management/co-ordination; facilitating access to community resources; psychopharmacological advice and prescription; psycho-education related to maternal issues (e.g. birth trauma, mother – infant relationship difficulties).

Referral Process:

Referrals are accepted from mental health professionals, Lead Maternity Carers (i.e. GPs and midwives), and other relevant health service providers e.g. from the Womens Hospital, Neonates.
Referral criteria for direct clinical input:

1. Women who are pregnant, or up to nine months postnatal at point of referral, with an associated moderate-severe mood or psychotic disorder
2. Women with enduring mental illness requiring specialist consultation or advice related to pregnancy)

Exclusions: Women with a primary diagnosis of: anxiety disorder, personality disorder; physical/sensory disorder; intellectual disability; or drug and alcohol dependence/abuse.

PO Box 9362 Marion Square, Wellington 6141
Tel: 04 472 3135

This support group has been in operation for 20 years and has excellent resources with a Support Guide available, see www.pnd.org.nz

Offer courses and groups for mothers and fathers.
Has an excellent list of all local supports in the region