About Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Vision: Mental well-being for all people in KwaZulu-Natal through an appropriate mental health and substance abuse programmes within the primary health care approach

Mission: To develop policy guidelines and support programmes to promote mental well-being by:

• Developing and implementing mental health and substance abuse legislation;
• Improving planning and monitoring of mental health and substance abuse services through research, information systems and the development of norms and standards;
• Assisting districts to provide comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services with an emphasis on community-based care;
• Assisting with development of human resources and capacity building;
• Ensuring the human rights of people with mental disability and shifting community attitudes towards the mentally ill;
• Limiting the cause and effect of mental illness and disabilities focusing on the population at risk;
• Preventing and / or reducing the demand and harm of psychoactive substances; and
• Limiting the cause and effect of violence.

Strategic Goals:

• The full implementation of the Mental Health Care Act No. 17 of 2002.
• The reintegration of Mental Health into the Primary Health Care with enhanced intersectoral collaboration to provide multidisciplinary mental health care.
• Improved infrastructure development and upgrading thus ensuring proper facilities for mental health care service delivery.
• Human resource development and mental health skills training.
• Improving quality of care and continuous evaluation and assessment of levels of care.
• Intensify programmes for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse.
• Support and strengthening of partnerships with community based organizations.

Key Result Areas:

• Facilitate the implementation of the Mental Health Care Act
• Technical support and guidance for the integration of Mental Health into the district health system
• Development of a policy for forensic psychiatric services
• The development of a seclusion room policy for all hospitals providing a mental health service.
• Develop a clinical audit system for mental health
• Improve the quality of mental health care by establishing minimum norms and standards.
• Support and strengthening of partnerships with community based organisations
• Intensify programmes for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse

Services offered by Mental Health and Substance Abuse:

• Development of strategic programmes and policies that will inform the operational activities of the Mental Health Programme.
• Provision of expert advice in the field of mental health and substance abuse.
• Engagement with other stakeholders in the field of mental health to encourage a participative framework for the development of mental health services.
• Informing Department of Health management of potential risks and threats to the effective implementation of mental health service delivery.
• Develop strategies and policies to enhance and improve mental health service delivery in KZN.
• Advise the component of health systems and policy development on any matters relating to mental health and substance abuse.
• Provide support and technical advice to the various mental health programmes within the province.
• Provide technical assistance and support for the implementation of such policies and strategies.
• Leadership in the formulation and control of strategic planning for the mental health and substance abuse component
• Ensure aligned commitment to the strategic objectives of the KZN Dept of Health
• Monitoring and evaluation of the quality and levels of services delivered as well as the financial performance and ensure that the mental health and substance abuse component displays orientation towards quality improvement, high service levels and effective financial management

Target Audience:

• Mental Health Care Users in KZN
• Mental Health Practitioners and other Allied disciplines
• Non-governenmental Organisations in the mental health and substance sector
• Governmental stakeholders viz Social development, Education, Justice, correctional Services etc
• Academic institutions e.g. UKZN

Statistics relative to Mental Health and Substance Abuse

• 4 Specialised psychiatric hospitals in the province
• 2 long-term care and rehabilitation centres
• 50 hospitals listed to provide 72 hour assessments for mental health care users
• Provision of forensic psychiatric services in 3 psychiatric hospitals
• 2 Child and Adolescent mental health units recently developed, awaiting opening
• 4 Mental Health Review Boards
• Support and Subsidisation to 32 mental health NGO’s
• Substance abuse detoxification provided at Emergency Rooms of Regional hospitals

Other information relating to the Programme

• The programme interacts with various other programmes at Head Office in order to provide as holistic and integrated a programme as possible eg Healthy Lifestyles, Disability and Rehabilitation, Employee Assistance Programme, Maternal, Child and Women’s Health etc.
• Interaction with other governmental departments at all levels encourages and fosters intersevtoral collaboration between our programme and the relevant programmes of other departments.
• Our programme is represented at a national forum for mental health and substance abuse at the National Department of Health, making our programme aligned to national priorities.

Legislation that Mental Health and Substance Abuse adheres to.

• Mental Health Care Act (17/2002) and General Regulations
• National Health Act, No. 61 of 2003 and it’s Regulations
• Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act, No. 12 of 1999
• Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Act, No. 90 of 1997
• Health Professions Act, 1974
• South African Medical Council Act
• International Health Regulations Act, 1974
• Pharmacy Amendment Act, No. 6 of 1995
• Nursing Amendment Act, No. 5 of 1995
• Medical, Dental and Supplementary Professions Amendment Act, No. 89 of 1997
• Pharmacy Amendment Act, No. 88 of 1997
• Nursing Amendment Act, No. 19 of 1997
• Tobacco Products Control Amendment Act, No. 12 of 1999
• Pharmacy Amendment Act, No. 1 of 2000
• Traditional Health Practitioners Act No. 35 of 2004