Specialised mental health service—target population group, code N

Guide for use:

This data element is used to disaggregate data on beds, activity, expenditure and staffing for patients in mental health service units (see the Specialised mental health service—service setting, code N data element).

CODE 1 Child and adolescent

These services principally target children and young people under the age of 18 years. The classification of a service into this category requires recognition by the regional or central funding authority of the special focus of the service. These services may include a forensic component.

CODE 2 Older person

These services principally target people in the age group of 65 years and over. The classification of a service into this category requires recognition by the regional or central funding authority of the special focus of the service. These services may include a forensic component.

CODE 3 Forensic

Health services that provide services primarily for people whose health condition has led them to commit, or be suspected of, a criminal offence or make it likely that they will reoffend without adequate treatment or containment. This includes prison-based services, but excludes services that are primarily for children and adolescents and for older people even where they include a forensic component.

CODE 4 General

These services principally target the general adult population (aged 18–64 years) but may also provide services to children, adolescents or older people. These services are those services that cannot be described as specialist child and adolescent services, youth services or services for older people. It excludes forensic services.

CODE 5 Youth

These services principally target children and young people generally aged 16-24 years. The classification of a service into this category requires recognition by the regional or central funding authority of the special focus of the service. These services may include a forensic component.

The order of priority for coding is:

• where the forensic services are for children/adolescents, youth or older persons these services should be coded to the category for that age group; and
• where the forensic services are for adults these services should be coded to forensic.

CODE 7 Not applicable

The code is only for use to identify those components of specialised mental health service organisations not directly involved in the delivery of patient care services in the admitted patient, residential or ambulatory mental health care services, nor in the operations of those services.