Mental health service contact

Guide for use:

A service contact must involve at least two persons, one of whom must be a specialised mental health service provider.

Mobile and outreach services and consultation and liaison services are included as service contacts.

Service contacts are not restricted to in person communication but can include telephone, video link or other forms of direct communication.

Service contacts can either be with a patient/client, or with a third party such as a carer or family member, other professional or mental health worker or other service provider. Services involving only a service provider and a third party(ies) are included as service contacts, where the nature of the service would normally warrant a dated entry in the clinical record of the patient/client in question.

There may be multiple service contacts on any one day for a patient/client or a third party(ies) and each service contact should be recorded separately.

A service contact should be recorded for each patient/client for which the service is provided, whether by phone or other electronic means or in person, regardless of the number of patients/clients or third parties participating or the number of service providers providing the service. Service provision is only regarded as a service contact if it is relevant to the clinical condition of the patient/client. This means that it does not include services of an administrative nature (e.g. telephone contact to schedule an appointment) except where the nature of the service would normally warrant a dated entry in the clinical record of the patient/client in question.

There may however be instances where notes are made in the patient/client clinical record that have not been prompted by a service provision for a patient/client (e.g. noting receipt of test results that require no further action). These instances would not be regarded as service contacts.

In instances where documenting the patient/client’s service contact details is separated in time from the service provision, this is not counted as a separate service contact.
Travel to or from the location at which the service is provided, for example to or from outreach facilities or private homes, is not to be reported as a service contact.