Service Title:

Maternal Mental Health Team – Waitemata District Health Board

Service Details:

Maternal Mental Health
124a Shakespeare Road
Takapuna
Auckland
Tel: 09 488 4634 Fax: 09 486 8999 (Main Base)
Child Health Unit
Waitakere Hospital (Outreach Office)

Staffing:

Multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals including: Psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapists, nurses

Service Focus:

Referrals are accepted of women living in the DHB catchment area, with a serious mental health illness that is related to the experience of pregnancy, childbirth and/or the postnatal adjustment who:

• are in the second trimester of pregnancy or
• have a baby under the age of one year

A pre pregnancy consultation is available for women with a history of serious mental illness eg, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Affective Disorder who are planning to become pregnant.

Referrals of a preventive nature are accepted of pregnant women who are mentally well but have a history of psychosis or of a perinatal mental illness of a severity that mental health service input was required to achieve stability.

Types of Service:

Assessment and range of treatments. All outpatient based - no inpatient facilities.

Referral Process:

Maternal Mental Health accepts referrals from other mental health service providers, eg Community Mental Health Team, Psych Liaison, other DHB Maternal Mental Health Teams. Any other referrals are directed to the woman's local Community Mental Health Team for triage and assessment.

Comments:

Maternal Mental Health, operating as a Tertiary Mental Health Specialist Service provider is able to support colleagues working in primary and secondary health services by providing consultation/liaison and to assist those women whose perinatal mental health needs cannot be met by other services in the region.