A classification of service types and glossary of terminology for non-government mental health services

This article presents a defined classification of non-government community mental health services designed for reporting by the non-government sector. Initial classification involved review of the relevant literature, advisory committee consultation and content analysis of the Department of Health, Western Australia's service specifications and service contracts. A proposed classification was evaluated by a sample of 50 non-government service providers via focus groups and telephone interviews for internal validity and applicability. The revised classification was validated by Victorian government and non-government providers. The final validated classification contained one service class, seven service types and seven service sub-types, accompanied by a glossary of terms.