Services
What can the ACPU offer?
Who can be referred?
How can the service be accessed?
What is the assessment process?
How will the results be summarised?
What can the ACPU offer?
The Academic Child Child Psychiatry Unit (ACPU) is able to provide a comprehensive assessment of the following difficulties in children and adolescents:
-
oppositional defiant problems
-
conduct problems
-
attentional difficulties
-
motor drivenness
-
impulsiveness
-
anxiety difficulties
-
depressive difficulties
-
autistic spectrum disorder problems
-
early-onset psychotic symptoms
For young people where there is a diagnostic clarification issue or who have been through one or more psychological and/or medical treatment regimens and who remain treatment non-responsive, referral to the ACPU may be a useful resource.
All the information collected will be fed back to young people and their families. With the prior consent of the parent(s) this information, in number form, will be kept in our clinical research electronic record. Ongoing advice about particular medication and/or psychological treatments and the monitoring of these treatments is available.
For further information about what the ACPU can offer please see the section About ACPU.
Who can be referred?
The Academic Child Psychiatry Unit (ACPU) is a statewide clinical research unit.
In general, the age range for new referrals is 0 - 18 years. A full standardized assessment will be completed for children six years of age and older. For children under six years of age, the family will be booked in to see Professor Vance.
The ACPU can receive referrals for:
-
Patients of The Royal Children's Hospital, Mental Health Service (RCH MHS)
-
All other patients, including RCH paediatric patients and private patients
How can the service be accessed?
In general, a referral to the ACPU can be made by completing an ACPU Referral Form or by providing a referral letter. Please foward completed referral forms or letters by mail or fax to the ACPU. For enquiries about making a referral please contact the ACPU on 9345 4666.
Referral of RCH MHS patients
RCH MHS clinicians/case managers should initiate the referral process by completing a referral form. The family will then be contacted by the ACPU to arrange an appointment.
Referral of private patients including RCH paediatric patients
For RCH and private patients a referral letter from a General Practitioner (GP), Paediatrician or other specalist is required. Please direct referrals to Professor Alasdair Vance. Please then contact the ACPU to make an appointment. In addition, a referring clinician, welfare worker, teacher, social worker, psychologist, or other health professional involved in the patient's care may provide a separate letter or referral, if they wish. All appointments will be bulk billed through medicare and the proceeds placed in the ACPU cost centre to assist the running of the ACPU.
What is the assessment process?
Outlined below is a summary of the assessment process. For more information about the assessement tools used and how long the assessment will take to complete please see the section Key Clinics and Standardised Assessments.
RCH MHS patients
Appointments are booked with ACPU clinicians for a complete standardised assessment. A feedback session to discuss the results of the assessment will be provided by Professor Vance and/or your child's clinician/case manager. A report will be generated to summarise the results of the assessment. This report will be sent to the child's clinician/case manager.
Non RCH MHS patients (private and RCH paediatric patients)
Appointments are booked with ACPU clinicians for a complete standardised assessment. A feedback session/clinical review to discuss the results of the assessment will be provided by Professor Vance. A report will be generated to summarise the results of the assessment. This report will be sent to the patient's referring doctor and can be made available to the family after a feedback session with Professor Vance.
How will the results be summarised?
As already stated above, the results of each standarised assessment will be summarised in a Brief Clinical Research Summary. For information about the format and content of this report please view the Sample Clinical Summary (pdf file).