Youth Hospital in the Home
Providing acute youth mental health care in the home
The Youth Hospital in The Home (Y-HiTH) service provides acute, hospital standard mental health care at home to eligible young people aged 16 to 24 in the SMHS mental health catchment (PDF 262KB) as an alternative to going to or staying in hospital.
The service acts as a step between being admitted to hospital and community care. Receiving intensive mental health assessment, treatment and management in your home means you can maintain your daily routines, responsibilities and roles while still accessing the high-level care you need.
The team will help you identify your needs and develop a treatment and support plan, treating you with respect and dignity always.
Members of the Y-HiTH team include:
- consultant psychiatrists
- psychiatric registrars
- community mental health nurses
- occupational therapists
- clinical psychologist
- social workers
- pharmacist
- peer support worker.
Read about our other youth mental health services.
How Y-HiTH works
For up to 14 days, the team will provide interventions and treatment to support your recovery in collaboration with you, your family or carers. The team will work with you to help you better understand your illness, improve your coping skills and support your recovery.
A member of the team will visit you each day at home or at a safe place in the community to monitor your treatment and progress.
Medical review is provided by Y-HiTH doctors on a regular basis, at your home or in a location comfortable for you.
To ensure you have access to appropriate care after your discharge from the Y-HiTH service, our team will maintain close links with your existing community care services, including your Community Mental Health Team, GP and other community supports.
Read about educational support for youth mental health patients.
Smoke-free policy
The Department of Health has a smoke-free policy. Smoking is not permitted in our buildings or grounds.
For the protection of our staff, we request you provide a smoke-free environment when receiving a visit from a Y-HiTH staff member in your home.
Appointments
Our team will make appointments to visit you daily at a time suitable for you and your support network.
The Y-HiTH service is available 7 days a week, throughout the year. Appointments can be scheduled between 9am and 7pm.
Team members will try to arrive at the agreed time, but unplanned events may cause delays. If this happens, we will notify you or re-arrange a convenient time to meet.
You and your carers can also phone the team on 6152 7999 between 8.30am–8.30pm daily for support as needed.
Eligibility
Young people aged between 16–24 years living in the South Metropolitan Health Service mental health catchment area (PDF 262KB) who are experiencing an acute episode of mental illness and require hospital admission are eligible for this program.
To participate, you must be willing to receive treatment at home rather than in hospital and agree to daily home visits.
You will need stable accommodation that is safe for the team to visit. It is preferable you have family, friends, or carers who are willing to be actively involved during this period.
Referrals
You can be referred to this service by your GP, community mental health team, emergency department or inpatient team. Read more about referring a patient to Y-HiTH.
All referrals are reviewed by our team prior to admission.
Share your feedback
To assist in evaluating and improving the service Y-HiTH team welcomes compliments, complaints and suggestions. Feedback can be provided at any time:
- on a feedback form – ask your team member for a form
- via our online feedback form
- by phoning the Fiona Stanley Patient and Family Liaison Service on 6152 2222.
More information
For further information please contact Fiona Stanley Hospital on 6152 7999 and ask for the Nurse Unit Manager of Youth HiTH.
If you need an interpreter or this information in an alternative format, please ask a Y-HiTH team member to assist you.
Mental health crisis services
Outside of the team’s operating hours (8.30am to 8.30pm daily) an emergency mental health service is available via the Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL) by phoning 1300 555 788.
Other services you can call include:
- Crisis Care: phone 9223 1111
- Lifeline: phone 13 11 14
- Poisons Information Centre: phone 13 11 26