Evaluation of Queensland Health's Adult Step Up Step Down (SUSD) Services
Background
The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR) was commissioned by Queensland Health's Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy and Planning Branch (MHAODSPB) to undertake an independent evaluation of Queensland Health’s Adult Step Up Step Down (SUSD) services from 2020 to 2023.
SUSD are short-term residential mental health programs designed to provide support for adult consumers experiencing a mental health crisis. SUSD are designed to help consumers to:
step up to increased support in times of crisis, without needing to be hospitalised, or
step down after discharge from an inpatient mental health facility to facilitate reintegration back into the community and prevent relapse and re-hospitalisation.
SUSD aims to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and offer intensive, short-term treatment and support for consumers in a residential setting. The environment is less restrictive than a hospital setting, and SUSD services provide a mix of clinical, psychosocial and other support including crisis intervention and stabilisation, individual and group therapy, medication management, skills development for independent living, support for social reintegration, and connection to community-based services.
