It is the first point of reference for citizens with mental illness. It coordinates all the interventions of prevention, treatment, rehabilitation for citizens with psychiatric pathologies within the territory.
The Center is headed by a multi-professional team consisting of at least one psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker and a professional nurse.
The CSM operates in outpatient offices and ensures, in cases of need and when it deems it appropriate, interventions at home or in other places of life. It can be accessed by contacting the facility directly, at the request of the general practitioner or psychiatrist of the public service. In cases where the situation requires a more articulated assessment of the need, access to the CSM can achieve the orientation determined in this sense by the Single Access Point (PUA) which operates at the Basic Healthcare Districts of the ASL
In the face of a pathology structured in a complex way, the CSM proceeds to the cd. taking charge of the patient, which involves the preparation of an individualized Therapeutic Project that formalizes the treatment, defines the duration, identifies the objectives and includes the verification of the results.
Access to the CSM can also translate into mere counseling, therefore providing for an evaluation which does not necessarily result in specialist treatment.
The Mental Health Center ensures the following interventions:
- Psychiatric treatments and psychotherapies, social interventions, insertion of patients in Day Centers, Day Hospital residential structures, hospitalizations, health treatments (infusion therapy);
- Diagnostic activities with psychiatric visits, psychological interviews for the definition of appropriate therapeutic-rehabilitative and socio-rehabilitative programs in the perspective of an integrated approach, with outpatient, home, network and residential interventions in the therapeutic continuity strategy;
- • Liaison activities with General Practitioners, to provide psychiatric consultancy and to conduct, in collaboration, therapeutic projects and training activities. Some CSMs also have a telephone line dedicated to GPs for counseling during opening hours;
- Specialist consultancy for “border” services (alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.), as well as for residential facilities for the elderly and disabled;
- Psychogeriatrics Clinic (UVA Center);
- Filtration of hospitalizations and control of hospitalization in accredited private neuropsychiatric nursing homes, in order to ensure therapeutic continuity;
- Evaluation for the purpose of continuous improvement of the quality of the practices and procedures adopted;
- Agreements and program agreements with municipalities for, among other things, work placements of psychiatric users, hetero-family foster care and home care;
- Collaboration with local authorities and the territorial network, associations, schools, social cooperatives.
- The CSM is active for outpatient and / or home interventions, usually for 12 hours a day, for 6 days a week. In case of urgency, during the closing hours of the service, citizens can contact the Emergency Department.