Disability Client Files since 1986

Disability Client Files since 1986

The establishment of the Intellectually Disabled Persons' Services Act 1986 meant that people with disabilities were thereafter viewed as clients needing different kinds of support to realise their full potential. A new model displaced the previous ‘medical’ model that had defined disabilities as illnesses.

The new legislative framework determined that people with disabilities were no longer to be ‘warehoused’ in institutions, and required general service plans and individual service plans created for each person’s development.

In terms of recordkeeping, the new model’s main practical impact was that all clients were to have a central file. These files often contained all the case notes from the client’s previous institutional file (for example, Kew Cottages file), either as pages removed and placed in the central file, or left intact and physically amalgamated with the central file.

Furthermore, clients who resided in disability institutions and were also wards of the state often had their wardship file amalgamated with the central client disability file, or vice-versa.

The previous medical/institutional model meant each institution had their own records. A new system was needed for centrally recording pertinent information about departmental disability clients in a way that could follow people from place to place.

The first central filing system was entirely paper based and was named after the recently-formed Office of Intellectual Disability Services, OIDS. It was replaced by the Disability Services Client Information System (DISCIS), a digital and paper-based system.

As of 2016, DISCUS has been replaced by the current Client Relationship Information System (CRIS), which is part of the Integrated Client and Case Management Systems project (ICCMS) that is combining all the department’s primary, central client filing systems.

Warning about distressing information

This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.

Source

Department of Health and Human Services agency history files.

List of records held by the department

For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.

Office of Intellectual Disability Services (OIDS) Client Files (c.1986-c.95)

File; Unappraised

Content: Following the Intellectually Disabled Persons Services Act 1986, a central client filing system for departmental Disability clients was created, named after the department’s new Office of Intellectual Disability Services: OIDS.

OIDS files reflect the transitional nature of departmental disability policy. The majority have the same file covers as mental/psychiatric health institutional client files (which is what they in fact were). [See specific guides for these institutions for further information.]

The numbering system most often found on OIDS files is the Unique Reference (UR) number still used for departmental psychiatric/mental health clients. It is a 6-digit number written with or without the UR prefix, for example: ‘285467’ or ‘UR285467’.

Most content in OIDS files is medical in nature; progress reports relating to the client’s response to physical and other therapies, urine and weight charts, changes in medication and regular medical check-ups.

Disability Services Client Information System (DISCIS) Client Files (c.1995-2006)

File; Temporary

Content: Files created within the DISCIS filing system had a three- to six-digit number with a suffix denoting the functional sub-category, e.g. 002121AC-01 (AC for accommodation).

These were the central departmental client records for disability clients, and usually followed them from the time they became a department client to their discharge or death.

The 10 function sub-categories in DISCIS were:

• Accommodation (AC)
• Behavioural Intervention (BIST)
• Client (CS)
• Family Intervention (FI)
• Forensic Psychiatry (FP)
• Homefirst (HF)
• Individual Support Package (ISP)
• Outreach (OR)
• Statewide Forensic Services (SF)
• Young Adults (YA)

Most clients had at least a Client CS file and an Accommodation AC file, which explains the large number of files with these two codes.

The focus of files differs depending on its functional sub-category. Most files include the client’s Eligibility Assessment documentation describing the level and nature of disability and eligibility for departmental support. Also a summary of important information: address, level of support needed, type of disability, age, sex, religion, likes and dislikes, personal care issues and any other medical issues.

Other information included copies of critical incident reports involving the client, records of contact with family members or others with impact on support needs, and copies of any legal or formal orders such as guardianship orders. If the client spent time at a residential facility such as a respite care home, or a training centre, there will be handwritten or typed notes from staff reporting behaviour and progress while in residence.

The files also contain other planning and monitoring documentation, such as case management, homecare, behaviour intervention services, respite services, recreational services and the provision of aids and equipment.

Client Relationship Information System (CRIS) Client Files (2006-current)

File; Unappraised

Content: The CRIS system was created in 2007 to become the single central client records filing system for DHHS clients including disability clients.
CRIS files have an eight-digit number preceded by a ‘C’ (e.g. C52522064DS) and followed by the functional code (AC, HF, etc.) as used in the previous DISCIS system.

CRIS DS files will contain the same kinds of documentation as DISCIS files, (see above).

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