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Intersectora1 linkages address the relationship
between mental health services and those services that are not
primarily mental health services but do impact on a person's overall
mental health outcome and general well being. "Mental health policies
need to recognize and stress the importance of other areas of
the social services which have strong implications for mental
health."(145)
These services may fall outside the responsibility
of health departments. A comprehensive mental policy will explicitly
encourage the development and maintenance of links and cooperation
between mental health services and those services that meet the
health and non-health needs of people with mental health problems
or that play a part in maintaining individual and population well-being.
Currently, in many countries service providers do not communicate
sufficiently and intersectoral linkages are not well established.
(First Meeting of the African Region, Consortium for Mental Health
Policy and Services, Lusaka, Zambia, 27-29 November, 2000) "Policies
aimed at improving these social factors will inevitably have a
bearing on the mental health status of the community. (146)
Intersectoral linkages may be prescribed in mental
health policy at national government levels between health sector
and other public services (e.g. education and finance) and at
service levels.
Areas in which intersectoral linkages should exist
include:
- Welfare, religious, education, rehabilitation, vocational
and employment, accommodation, correctional, police and other
social services required by people with mental illness and disability
or with which they are likely to come into contact;
- Services within the workplace such as Human Resource Management,
Training and Occupational Health and Safety that impact on mental
health well being;
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