PACCS May update

Thank you to everyone who have already made a referral to our new Personality Disorder and Autism Assessment Clinic, (PAACS). This service provides specialised assessment and consultation for consumers, exploring the intersectionality between personality disorder and/or autism.

If you are seeing a consumer that you believe meets our criteria, we invite you to make a referral who may benefit from this unique service. This service remains free.

The small PAACS team funded by the Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing (DFFS) are based at Spectrum in Richmond. The team includes a Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Coordinator (OT3), all with specialist knowledge in personality disorder and experience of autism.

They provide diagnostic assessment, consultation and written and verbal feedback for adult mental health consumers. The aim of the clinic is to explore any possible intersectionality between Personality Disorder and/or autism.

PAACS team will receive your referral via email ([email protected]).

You are welcome to contact the PAACS coordinator to explore eligibility/suitability and/or participate in a secondary consult prior to submission of the referral form. Consumers need to consent to the referral.

PAACS team will determine if the referral is suitable and/or if more information is required

Screening tools will be completed by the treating team and may be used to determine if the consumer is accepted for assessment

The PAACS Coordinator will then liaise with the consumer directly and book an assessment slot with the psychiatrist and psychologist

The PAACS Coordinator will obtain collateral information from identified sources (optional)

The consumer will be booked in for a feedback session with the psychologist

A written report will be shared with the consumer and their team.

The PAACS team will provide a comprehensive written report, including recommendations, for both the consumer and their supports that will assist in treatment, management and discharge planning.

We will also provide information on training and resources to assist in achieving better outcomes for consumers, their supports and others including disability and mental health professionals. 

We cannot accommodate requests for any other specific disciplines to be involved in the assessment.

All referrals must be on the PAACS referral form (click here to download form)

Attached to the PAACS referral form must be a recent risk assessment.

Please forward all completed referrals to email: [email protected]

For any referral enquiries, phone Lilli Haig-wood (PAACS Coordinator) on 0481 462 746.