title: Identifying the core competencies of mental health telephone triage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this study was to identify the core competencies of mental health telephone triage, including key role tasks, skills, knowledge and responsibilities, in which clinicians are required to be competent to perform safe and effective triage.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Recent global trends indicate an increased reliance on telephone-based health services to facilitate access to health care across large populations. The trend towards telephone-based health services has also extended to mental health settings, evidenced by the growing number of mental health telephone triage services providing 24-hour access to specialist mental health assessment and treatment. Mental health telephone triage services are critical to the early identification of mental health problems and the provision of timely, appropriate interventions. In spite of the rapid growth in mental health telephone triage and the important role these services play in the assessment and management of mental illness and related risks, there has been very little research investigating this area of practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational design was employed to address the research aims.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured observations (using dual wireless headphones) were undertaken on 197 occasions of mental health telephone triage over a three-month period from January to March 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The research identified seven core areas of mental health telephone triage practice in which clinicians are required to be competent in to perform effective mental health telephone triage, including opening the call; performing mental status examination; risk assessment; planning and action; termination of call; referral and reporting; and documentation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this research contribute to the evidence base for mental health telephone triage by articulating the core competencies for practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mental health telephone triage competencies identified in this research may be used to define an evidence-based framework for mental health telephone triage practice that aims to improve the quality, consistency and accuracy of telephone-based mental health triage assessment.
authors.affiliation: Authors:Natisha Sands, RN, BN, PhD, Associate Professor and Campus Leader, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University Waterfront Campus, Geelong; Stephen Elsom, RN, MHN, BA, MNurs, PhD, Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne; Marie Gerdtz, BN, PhD, RN, A&ECert, GDAET, Associate Professor, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne; Kathryn Henderson, RN, GDACN, Hospital and Emergency Psychiatry Nurse Manager, Alfred Psychiatry, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne; Sandra Keppich-Arnold, RN, GDHE&P, Associate Director of Nursing & Operations, Alfred Psychiatry, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne; Nicolas Droste, BBehSc, Research Assistant, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Melbourne; Roshani Kanchana Prematunga, MPH, PG DipSci-Statistics, BCOM., Research Assistant, Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne; Zewdu W Wereta, BSc, MA, PhD, Research Assistant, Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Natisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sands
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elsom
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerdtz
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keppich-Arnold
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Droste
authors.forename: Roshani K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Prematunga
authors.forename: Zewdu W
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Wereta
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013689:Telephone; D014218:Triage