Functions & Role of
Community Mental health
nursing
SRINIVASAN A
Roles of Community Mental
Health Nurse
Researcher
Leadership
Collaborator Manager
Advocate
Educator
Clinician
Nurses
Direct Care Provider
considers the needs and strengths of the whole person,
the family and the community to assess mental
health needs, formulate diagnoses, and plan,
implement and evaluate nursing care;
collaborates with people and interprofesssional
partners to provide people with information to make
informed decisions about their health;
uses population-focused interventions that provide
health prevention and early intervention initiatives;
identifies and responds to people/ group(s)
most vulnerable to mental health problems;
motivates and enables individuals and
communities to take responsibility for their
health and to make healthier choices;
provides on going information and
education to clients, other providers, other
organizations, and the
Nurse as counselor
Counselor
help people focus on a goal(s) or outcome(s);
help people develop strategies that support self-care and enable individuals and
their families to take responsibility for and participate in decisions about their
health;
provide a range of services including: education, research and knowledge
sharing; evidence- informed practices; system navigation; and
communication;
provide an opportunity for people to work towards living in a more satisfying
and resourceful way;
use a range of counselling skills based on counselling models such as
interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy and solution-
focused therapy to improve an individuals functioning and quality of life;
and,
help people to be supported, to gain insight, and to bring about
change in thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Crisis Worker
provides a comprehensive holistic biopsychosocial assessment includ- ing assessment
of risk to life, men- tal status assessment (in cases of psychiatric history or current psy-
chiatric disorder), physical assess- ment and identification of the cli- ents strengths, coping
mechanisms and current support systems (Hoff,
2001);
provides mobile outreach response in psychiatric and mental health
crisis to provide rapid assessment and intensive home treatment ser- vices, reducing the
likelihood of hospitalization;
teaches and educates colleagues, families, family practitioners, po- lice, community
leaders and the general public, regarding crisis p r ev en ti on and int
e rv en tio n (RNAO, 2006b); and,
provides crisis intervention, refer- rals and linkages, and short-term follow up (RNAO,
2006b).
Case Manager
supporting people to function at optimal levels of health and to
become self-sufficient;
co-ordinating, negotiating and managing the care of complex
patients;
facilitating collaborative practice;
teaching people and their families;
providing therapeutic interventions to the client and family;
providing supportive counselling, problem solving, medication
monitoring and relapse prevention;
teaching psychosocial rehabilitation;
linking clients to other services in the community; and,
participating on assertive community treatment teams.
Educator
provides education on a variety of mental health
issues in a range of formats for individual, families,
and populations;
uses principles of child and adult learning
appropriate to the target group;
acts as a preceptor and mentor to students and
novice practitioners in community mental health
settings; and,
provides continuing education with nurses and
other health care pro- viders on mental health and
addic- tions.
Nurse Advocate
Advocacy means using one's position
to support, protect, or speak out for the
rights and interests of another.
Researcher/Evaluator
identifies and uses evidence-based research in
decision-making and shares this research with
clients to support them to make well- informed
choices;
participates in research projects at all levels to
yield qualitative and or
quantitative evidence pertaining to nursing practice,
administration, education and research; and,
develops a program of research into outcomes
associated with improved integration of mental
health and primary health.
Health Prevention
Tertiary Prevention
Secondary Prevention
Primary Prevention
Primary Prevention for Health
Promotion
Health Education
Adequate Nutrition
Individual Development
Adequate working environment and
recreation, resting
Pre-marriage counseling and education
Genetic Counseling
Regular Physical Examination
Primary Prevention for Health
Protection
Comply with immunization
Individual hygiene
Improve environment sanitary
Occupational Safety &Mental health
Prevent Accident in all ages
Adequate nutrition
Avoid cancer cause agents
Secondary Prevention
Identify Psychiatric cases in the
community
Screen and test
Conduct Mini mental status examination
Treat and prevent the progress of
illness
Reduce the disability time
Tertiary Prevention
Treat and stop the disorder progress and
avoid complication and side effect
Limit the chance for disability
Provide rehabilitation for physical and
psychological well-being, occupational
therapy, availability of long-term care
Characteristics of community Mental
health nursing
it is a field of Mental health nursing
it combines public health with Psychiatric
nursing
it is population-focused
it emphasizes wellness
it involves interdisciplinary collaboration
it promotes clients responsibility and
self care
Setting for community Mental
health nursing practice
homes
ambulatory service settings
schools
occupational Mental health setting
residential institutions
the community at large
Opportunity for Future
Community Health Nursing
Chronic Disease management
Home Care
Extended care from Acute care setting
Elderly care
Rehabilitation care in different population
Health promotion in every level
Health system referral, emphasize individual role
and function of community health sector
Future
Future- oriented community-based P/MH
nurses will continue to practice holisti-
cally with integrated views of wellness
and illness, mind and body, the bio
medical and the behavioural, focusing on
an entire episode of illness rather than
the acute part and its particular meaning
for the people affected
What we can do?
Nurses, need to articulate and clarify
their unique education, roles and
functions and to high- light the
valuable contribution they can bring to
clients/consumers of mental health
services in India.
