THE CHALLENGETransforming the Mental Health System: A Critical Imperative
In 2021, a review into the Mental Health System of this State Government issued a resounding verdict—it was failing the community's needs. The system was ill-prepared to confront the challenges on the horizon and required a radical overhaul. The recommendations set forth an ambitious reform agenda—to forge a system that's responsive, integrated, and tailored to individual needs. Achieving this huge task would require a unified, collective effort involving governments, service providers, community groups, advocates, individuals with lived experience, families, carers, and supporters.
THE SOLUTIONA Human-Centered Approach to Reform
THE IMPACTDesigning for Tomorrow's Mental Health
THE TRANSFORMATION JOURNEYOUTCOMES AND IMPACTThis government agency embarked on an exploration to reshape the mental health landscape. They sought a partner to lead a human-centred co-design project, aiming to create:
A visual representation of consumer experiences.
An information architecture to underpin future reform initiatives.
Specifically, our client aimed to:
Identify four consumer archetypes and map their current experiences.
Co-design future state service experiences and craft a service blueprint that optimises information and systems to enhance service outcomes.
Develop a sector-wide model of the Mental Health system, encompassing related services affecting the overall experience (e.g., housing, employment, disability, etc.).
Produce a summary report detailing deliverables and the methodology employed.
This engagement served as a baseline for current state experiences within this State Government's mental health system. It aimed to craft aspirational future journeys and service blueprints for four vital archetypes identified by the agency:
Transitioning from youth services to adult services.
Receiving treatment, care, and support for substance use or addiction.
Responding to crises and complex circumstances.
Older People.
A human-centred design approach ensured that the voices of consumers, families, carers, and supporters were at the core of the design deliverables.
We created current state journeys through workshops involving Lived Experience participants and policy leads.
We built a sector-wide model of the Mental Health system, encompassing existing services affecting experiences.
These current state journeys were then adapted into future state experiences, aligning with the needs and preferences of Lived Experience participants.
We created service blueprints, mapping out processes, information flows, and systems essential for supporting desired future experiences while reflecting a human-centred design ethos.
Deeper Insights: By centring on those with firsthand experiences, this agency achieved a profound understanding of challenges, needs, and expectations.
Shared Vision: A unified vision for the future emerged in harmony with the review's recommendations and the genuine needs of the individuals concerned.
Blueprint for the Future: Detailed roadmaps, service blueprints, and a clear process to execute upon laying a robust foundation for future initiatives.