The University of Sydney’s “Right care, first time, where you live” program is aimed at empowering young people to thrive in their communities by strengthening mental health systems to provide responsive and coordinated care. Using systems modelling and simulation, the program equips regional health service providers with decision support tools to inform cost-effective investments, coordinate cross-sectoral care, build workforce capacity, and integrate long-term monitoring and evaluation processes.
Data from the Australian Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas was used to build a systems model that accurate represents the Great Southern region in WA, alongside administrative data, research evidence, and local knowledge. The Atlas’ unique focus on children and young people provides a crucial evidence base for the model, whose target age group is 15-24. In partnership with the WA Primary Health Alliance, this dynamic model will inform investments in programs, services and initiatives for the Great Southern region.
Drawing on key indicators from the Atlas, including number of community mental health care (CMHC) service contacts, ED presentations, mental health related hospital admissions, and deliberate self-harm hospitalisations, the model captures the complex dynamics of psychological distress, mental disorder, service usage, and influencing factors such as early life exposures, drug and alcohol misuse, community cohesion, and participation in employment, education and training. The model will then be used to simulate the potential impacts of various programs implemented in the region.
