COMHWA - Frequently Asked Questions

Organised below are a range of questions and answers that are often asked of the COMHWA team. To find a question, select from the categories listed below. The most frequently asked questions are listed on this page.

FAQ Categories
	National Outcomes and Casemix Collection (NOCC) Protocols
	Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS)
	Health of the Nation Outcome Scales 65+ (HoNOS 65+)
	Health of the Nation Outcome Scale Child and Adolescent (HoNOSCA)
	Life Skills Profile (LSP)
	Focus of Care (FoC)
	Kessler
	Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
	Resource Utilisation Groups - Activities of Daily Living (RUG-ADL)
	Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS)
	Factors Influencing Health Status (FIHS)
	PSOLIS
Most Popular FAQs
	What period should each assessment cover? (Read answer)

	Who completes the CGAS? (Read answer)

	How can this kind of 'global assessment scale' replace other scales with more detailed information? (Read answer)

	What information should be used to make the rating? (Read answer)

	What is the HoNOS and what are the benefits of using this instrument? (Read answer)

	Who completes the Life Skills Profile-16? (Read answer)

	What if the consumer is functioning very well in one area and not so well in another? (Read answer)

	When is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) required as part of the National Outcome and Casemix Collection ? (Read answer)

	Is the transfer of a consumer from one psychiatric ward to another, within the same hospital, a new episode requiring new data collection? (Read answer)

	Are other states in Australia eventually going to be able to access the clinical information system (PSOLIS) on-line for interstate consumers? (Read answer)

National Outcomes and Casemix Collection: Technical Specification of State and Territory Reporting Requirements for the Outcomes and Casemix Components of ‘Agreed Data’ Under National Mental Health Information Development Funding Agreements.
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, 2002.

National Outcomes and Casemix Collection: Overview of Clinical Measures and Data Items.
Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra, 2002.

Mental Health and Wellbeing – Commonwealth of Australia
Publications and Resources Relating to the Collection of Outcome Measures Throughout Australia.

Victoria Mental Health Services
Measuring Consumer Outcomes in Public Mental Health Services in Victoria

Ohio Department of Mental Health
Outcomes Planning & Training Tools

HoNOS
Information About the HoNOS Family of Instruments

NSW MH-OAT
New South Wales Mental Health Outcomes & Assessment Training Project

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Details the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire developed by Robert Goodman in the UK.

Youth In Mind
A mental health site for Parents, Teachers and Adolescents.

PSOLIS
Clinicians needing to know more about PSOLIS can link to their website here. Click on the link above.