These services include the following:
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy supports women in their transition to becoming a mother (termed matrescence). Matrescence can be a time of great change, occupational therapy provides supportive individual inpatient and outpatient sessions as well as group sessions to assist in stress management and normalise the feelings and experiences of Matrescence.
Antenatal Outpatients
Pregnancy is a significant time of change, adjustment and anticipation for women. OT can support women who are experiencing:
- Stress impacting function and coping
- Procedural anxiety
- Previous birth trauma
- Disability (physical/intellectual), acute condition, chronic illness or neurodiversity
- Persistent pain: Pain which will impact birth and pregnancy
- Parenting skills
How to refer
Appointments are through the Mater Health and Wellness Clinic located at Level 3 Salmon Building or via telehealth. Referrals can be made by a clinician or consumer by:
- phoning 07 3163 6000 (1,2,1)
- email info.wellness@mater.org.au
Antenatal Inpatients
OT provides individual stress management sessions to mothers who are admitted with high-risk pregnancies or complications. Sessions can include support for:
- Counselling/ACT/CBT/Mindfulness
- Meaningful activity and establishing a routine
- Family-inclusive model of support for partners and children (sibling support)
- Relaxation and grounding strategies
- Self-hygiene and selfcare
- Advocacy around patient centred care preferences
- Psychosocial birth preferences
- How to refer
- Referrals can be charted in the patient CAR, verbally given to the team leader or made directly to OT by phoning 0403477553.
Postnatal Inpatients
- Adjustment to parenting (self-care, sleep hygiene, baby cares, bonding, routines, emotional regulation, relaxation/grounding)
- Trauma-informed traumatic birth/post birth support and debriefing
- Discharge follow-up available through Parent Support Centre (four sessions)
- Co-facilitates ‘The Dads Session’, which occurs every Monday and Thursday at 1pm on Level 12 in the patient lounge.
How to refer
Referrals are via the team leader/midwife or directly to OT on 0403477553.
Postnatal Outpatients
Mothers can self-refer to access four free sessions with Psychosocial OT through the Parent Support Centre OT by phoning 31632299. Alternately, mothers can be seen in the Health and Wellness Clinic (Ph: 3163 6000 option 1, 2,1).
Cost
Some occupational therapy will incur a cost, please recommend that your patient to contact Mater Health and Wellness on 3163 6000 (1,2,1) for individual estimates on cost.
Social Work
Our team of dedicated Social Workers work alongside patients and their families to identify and resolve psychosocial issues (personal, social or emotional) that may impact their wellbeing and parenting journey. We provide a variety of interventions including psychosocial assessment, counselling and psychoeducation on personal, parenting, and relationship concerns and complete referrals to a wide range of community services who are able to continue to support the family meet their goals now and into the future. Social Work support can be provided to both antenatal and postnatal patients and includes families with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
- Domestic and Family Violence
- Child Protection concerns in relation to risk of harm
- Alcohol and other drug misuse
- Mental health issues that impact on safety or parenting
- Intellectual disability that impacts on parenting capacity
- Homelessness or high risk of homelessness
- Severe financial hardship
- Concerns regarding bonding and attachment
- Considering adoption or alternate care for baby
- Adjustment to maternal or fetal health diagnosis
- Concealed pregnancy/no antenatal care/unbooked birth
How to refer
Referrals can be made through VERDI via the Internal Specialist Referral form or via the Social Work Intake Mobile on 0403 477 844
Cost
This support service is available to all families and individuals with a current Medicare card whose baby was born at one of Mater Mothers’ Hospitals across Queensland. There is no out of pocket expenses to you for accessing the service.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care at Mater supports the entire clinical team in providing holistic care to patients, carers and their families. It is integral to, and one of the most tangible expressions of Mater’s Mission and Catholic Identity. Our pastoral care practitioner team offer services to patients and their families, and colleagues, encompassing spiritual assessments, sacraments, rituals, bereavement services, spiritual health and wellbeing. Every person has the right to have their cultural, psychosocial, spiritual, and personal values, beliefs, and preferences respected.
Inpatient Service
- Advocate on their behalf for their ethical, spiritual, cultural and religious needs and concerns.
- Provide support and counselling when there is grief and loss which may include end of life care, sudden death, miscarriage and stillbirth, and terminal illness.
- Collaborate with the multi-disciplinary care team by participating in care planning meetings, and liaising with and referring to other appropriate professionals, to offer the best care for the patient experience.
- Help people access religious rites, blessings, prayer, sacramental ministry and spiritual support and resources, including access to Chapels or reflective spaces in our facilities.
- Facilitate, on request, visits from faith community representatives including from a Priest, Pastor, Imam, Rabbi or Monk.
How to refer
Pastoral care practitioners routinely visit wards. Patients and their families can request Pastoral Care directly or any caregivers may assist by making a referral to our pastoral care practitioners. In emergency after-hours situations, it may be necessary to contact our Catholic chaplain, external chaplains or faith representatives via Teleservices.,
- Pager 0114, 0323, 0333
- Extensions 8959, 6729
- Email PastoralCare@mater.org.au
Cost
There is no out of pocket expenses to you for accessing the service.