Ms Nithya Kunasakaran1
1Prison Mental Health Service, West Moreton Health, Queensland Health, , Australia
Biography:
Ms Nithya Kunasakaran is a Social Worker and Team Leader with the West Moreton Health Prison Mental Health Service (PMHS). She has a Master of Social Work (Child and Family Practice) from The University of Queensland. She commenced her career with the correctional services before progressing to the non-government sector and then the public sector mental health service, occupying senior positions in various settings including Residential Rehabilitation, Acute Care Team, Community Care Team and Forensic and Secure Services (EFTRU) as well as PMHS. She is passionate about advocacy and complex care/systemic coordination.
Abstract:
The West Moreton Health Prison Mental Health Service has developed a case management model for the mental health care of eligible prisoners that is both multidisciplinary and holistic, and incorporating ready utility of a working relationship with a non-government organisation. The model of care is tailored to meet individual need and is supported by specialist dual diagnosis clinicians, psychological intervention clinicians and indigenous health workers. Case management support is provided throughout the individual's term of imprisonment and involves close collaboration with the treating psychiatrist with attendance to provision of care support while in custody as well as intensive release planning to ensure continuity of care with appropriate community services. Since launching the model in late 2024, the number of prisoner-patients open to the program has steadily increased to approximately 500, which is around 70% of the total number of open patients within the service. This uptake has been associated with an improvement in overall quality of care, reflected in a broad uplift in measured mental health service key performance indicators.