Wren aims to maximise access wherever it is safe and clinically appropriate. The following suitability criteria provides guidance to referring clinicians and potential participants on whether wren is a suitable treatment option.
*Gender
Wren is a service for mental health treatment and care, specifically for women. This includes cis gender, trans gender and non-binary women.
Our goal is to create a space that is inclusive, respectful and welcoming of diverse gender expressions, while maintaining a focus on women’s mental health.
Suitability Criteria
Wren is able to provide care for:
- Women* aged 18 and over
- Women* with a mental illness who require an inpatient level of mental health care. Wren is not suitable for people presenting solely with psychosocial difficulties. There must also be acute mental health issues present.
- Participants who are willing and consenting to a voluntary admission
- Participants who are likely to benefit from the therapeutic program
Wren is not able to provide care for the following individuals:
- Participants on an Assessment Order, Inpatient Temporary Treatment Order or an Inpatient Treatment Order under the Victorian Mental Health & Wellbeing Act (2022)
- Participants with a severe acquired brain injury or cognitive impairment that precludes beneficial engagement in the therapeutic program
- Participants using alcohol or other substances in a manner that poses a risk to themselves or others, or precludes beneficial engagement in the therapeutic program
- Participants who have access to appropriate alternative treatment settings such as private mental health admissions
- Participants primarily seeking admission for:
- Assessment for diagnosis of ASD or ADHD
- Trauma therapy
- TMS
Inpatient Perinatal Stream Suitability criteria:
- Participants experiencing mental illness in the postpartum period, who are the carer for an infant from 7 days to 12 months of age and not yet walking independently
- Participants who are pregnant may be considered for either the general mental health stream or the perinatal stream, depending on their individual needs
- Participants who are safe to be around their infant and other infants
- Participants who can provide safe care to their infant with clinician support (those unable to do so may be considered for the general mental health stream with the aim of transitioning to the perinatal stream when they are safely able to do so)
- Physically well infants (without complex care needs such as nasogastric feeding or home oxygen)
Eating Disorders Stream Suitability Criteria:
- Participants who have an eating disorder that is requiring an inpatient level of support as determined by the referring care providers
Eating Disorders Stream Physical Health Non-Suitability Criteria:
- BMI below 13, with exceptions for individuals with enduring eating disorders - considered on a case-by-case basis
- Nasogastric feeding
- Haemodynamic instability characterised by:
- Systolic blood pressure 20mmHg systolic or >10mmHg diastolic
- Resting heart rate 100bpm
- Postural tachycardia >20bpm
- Significant ECG changes
- Significant metabolic, haematological or electrolyte derangements
- At high (or significant) risk of developing refeeding syndrome
Abbreviations explained:
- BMI – Body mass index
- bpm – beats per minute
- ECG – electrocardiogram
Hospital in the Home (HITH)
The HITH program provides an alternative to inpatient treatment for women* in an acute phase of mental illness, including pre-admission or post-discharge from an episode of inpatient care. In addition to the broader suitability criteria for Wren, the participant must also meet the following criteria to be eligible for the HITH service.
Hospital in the Home suitability criteria
- Be willing and consent to have care, support, and treatment at home, if deemed suitable Have suitable accommodation to be seen
- Live within the HiTH catchment (a 10km radius from Ramsay Clinic Albert Road)
- Requires daily or twice daily face-to-face contact
- Preferably have a support network that is willing and able to be actively involved in their care and treatment
- Be able to develop a plan with clinicians and ideally with their support person(s) which identifies feasible strategies to support their risks to self and others
- Be able to engage in therapeutic interventions including care, support and treatment, completion of a Wellbeing Plan & participation in network meetings
- Participants with dependent children require adequate support for care of the child
HITH is not suitable for women* who:
- Require 24h observation
- Require more than 2 face-to-face contacts per day
- Medical and psychiatric instability or risks that require inpatient care