Mindgardens Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Clinic
The FND Clinic aims to develop a gold standard model of care for people with this treatable neuropsychiatric disorder, and improve awareness and knowledge among health care professionals.
The importance of the FND Clinic
The Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Clinic is a听听Neuroscience Network funded project.
Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) are a common and potentially reversible cause of neuropsychiatric disability. The highest prevalence is among young to middle-aged adults of whom more than a third are, as a result, forced out of the workforce and experience significant levels of disability.
Currently, there is a distinct lack of coordinated service provision for FND in NSW and throughout Australia in general. Many patients and their health practitioners report inadequate levels of education and training in relation to the assessment and treatment of听. In developing the Mindgardens FND clinic, we recognised that the treatment of FND requires an empathic, tailored multidisciplinary approach, the principles of which are embedded in the model of care our clinic has adopted.
The Mindgardens FND Clinic has been established to provide short-term, post diagnostic multidisciplinary care to FND patients in NSW. Additionally, we will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of our multi-disciplinary assessment and intervention program and use this information to further refine our model of care. This clinic will contribute to increasing FND awareness and knowledge among health-care providers, improve the management and care of FND in emergency, inpatient, and outpatient settings, and develop treatment tools relevant to caring for FND patients across public and private sector settings. Collection of clinical data at entry into the clinic and post assessment is a vital part of the FND Clinic.听If you are interested in referring a client to the clinic or being referred yourself, please see our听referral section below.
About the FND Clinic
The Mindgardens FND Clinic operates out of the Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI). The NPI is a clinical academic facility of The Prince of Wales Hospital, a 黑料网大事记 Sydney teaching hospital, and is part of the Mental Health Program of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD).
This clinic brings together clinical experts from neuropsychiatry, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology for the first time in NSW. Lead Clinician and Chief Investigator is Dr Adith Mohan, a Senior Staff Specialist in Neuropsychiatry. He is joined by a multidisciplinary team of allied health staff in providing clinical assessment of referred patients at the NPI.听
Mindgardens FND Clinic wins prestigious SESLHD CORE Award
The Mindgardens Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Clinic has been honoured with the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) CORE Award for Excellence in the Provision of Mental Health Services.
Dr. Adith Mohan, FND Clinic lead and Senior Neuropsychiatrist at 黑料网大事记, said the recognition underscores the clinic鈥檚 commitment to advancing FND care and addressing critical gaps in service provision.
We鈥檙e all very honoured to receive this award and recognition for the team鈥檚 hard work in FND, which is vastly under-researched and under-funded, leaving people who live with this condition without access to the appropriate level of care, resources and support.
Grace's story: how the Mindgardens FND Clinic helped a young woman regain her health and confidence
21 year old Grace Corkhill lives with functional neurological disorder (FND), a legacy of a childhood health crisis.
In the video above Grace talks about her experience: how FND had left her isolated and fearful before a referral to the multidisciplinary Mindgardens FND Clinic in Sydney; how attending the clinic got her mental and physical health back on track; and her hopes and aspirations for the future.
Enhancing Access to Evidence-Based Care for Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) Patients
People living with Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) differ widely in their access to, and the forms of care they receive depending on where in Australia and New Zealand they live, a bi-national survey of FND clinics has found.
The study, led by Dr Adith Mohan, the Director of the Mindgardens FND Clinic, found that despite FND鈥檚 prevalence, timely access to specialist care remains challenging, and existing services struggle to cope with patient need while often facing uncertain financial futures.
FND affects a significant number of individuals, averaging between four and 12 per 100,000 people annually. There are multiple, compounding reasons why accessing appropriate care for FND patients remains an issue. These challenges are amplified in regional settings and specialist services face significant clinical demand with scant resources.
- Clinic referral
- FAQs
- Resources
- Meet the team
- News
Referral to the FND Clinic
Concurrent with ongoing neurological care, patients are referred to the clinic by their specialist, who will email the completed FND Referral form to the Clinic. Patients must have a confirmed diagnosis of FND made by their treating neurologist to be suitable for this clinic and meet the referral criteria outlined below.听听
Please note that referrals are assessed on a case-by-case basis for inclusion in the clinic. Unfortunately, we cannot accept referral requests from patients and their families directly. We will do our best to respond to queries but may not be able to do so in a timely manner.
Given the clinical demand, our clinic wait times are currently quite long. We will correspond with the referring specialist directly about this and any possible interim options once a referral is accepted.
Further information about making a referral can be found here:听
The form required to make the referral can be accessed here:
What are our Referral Criteria?
- Aged 18-65 years.听
- FND diagnosed by a specialist neurologist.听听
- Confirmation that that the diagnosis has been explicitly discussed with the patient prior to referral to the FND clinic.听
- Commitment by referring specialist to stay involved in patient鈥檚 care after clinic interventions are completed.听
- All FND related investigations have been completed.听
- Patient consenting and aware of referral to clinic.听听
How to refer?听
- Referring specialist emails the completed听FND Referral form听along with the required accompanying documentation to:听
SESLHD-POWNeuropsychiatricInstitute@health.nsw.gov.au - Phone: 02 9382 3763
- Fax: 02 9382 3774
- Please mark referrals 鈥for the attention of Dr Adith Mohan, Mindgardens FND Clinic鈥.
- Referrals are screened by clinic staff for suitability. If considered suitable for the clinic, the referring clinician will be informed, and the patient will be invited to attend a comprehensive assessment.
- Appointments cannot be booked and confirmed until the completed referral pack with required background information has been provided.
Who is not ready to be referred to the Clinic?听
- Investigations ongoing.听
- Patient is not accepting of diagnosis of FND.
- Active medico-legal/ worker鈥檚 compensation matters.听
- Primary clinical issue other than FND.
For further information, please contact the institute directly.
Frequently asked questions FAQs
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Concurrent with ongoing neurological care, patients are referred by their treating specialist, who will email the completed FND Referral form to the Clinic. Patients must have a confirmed diagnosis of FND made by their treating neurologist to be suitable for this clinic and meet the referral criteria.
Please note that referrals are assessed on a case-by-case basis for inclusion in the clinic.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept referral requests from patients and their families directly. We will do our best to respond to queries but may not be able to do so in a timely manner.
Given the clinical demand, our clinic wait times are currently quite long. We will correspond with the referring specialist directly about this and any possible interim options once a referral is accepted.
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Functional Neurological Disorders. 听
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When a patient is accepted into the clinic, they will be invited to attend a neuropsychiatric assessment and asked to complete a set of surveys.
At the initial appointment, 3 further appointments will be scheduled: a feedback session, a 3-month follow up and a 6-month follow-up.听
Some assessments will involve members of our interdisciplinary team, made up of clinical experts from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology.听
Once the clinic is complete, care will be continued with the referring specialist and patients will be provided with information about access to further treatment and care.
Referral to this clinic is predicated on the continued involvement of the referring specialist in the patient鈥檚 care.
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The Mindgardens FND clinic will operate out of the Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI). The NPI is a clinical academic facility of The Prince of Wales Hospital, a 黑料网大事记 Sydney teaching hospital, and is part of the Mental Health Program of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD).
The FND Clinic appointments will be in the Euroa Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, and is close to Gate 6, Avoca Street.
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No, unfortunately this clinic cannot accept referrals for medico-legal reports.
听 -
- Aged 18-65 years.听听
- FND diagnosed by a specialist neurologist.听 听
- Confirmation that that the diagnosis has been explicitly discussed with the patient prior to referral to the FND clinic.听听
- Commitment by referring specialist to stay involved in patient鈥檚 care after clinic interventions are completed.听听
- All FND related investigations have been completed.听听
- Patient consenting and aware of referral to clinic.
听
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- Read our detailed referral information sheet.
- Please email the completed听FND Referral Form听to:听SESLHD-POWNeuropsychiatricInstitute@health.nsw.gov.au听听
- Phone: 02 9382 3763听
- Fax: 02 9382 3774听
- Please mark referrals 鈥榝or the attention of Dr Adith Mohan, Mindgardens FND Clinic鈥.
- Referrals are screened by clinic staff for suitability. If considered appropriate, a patient information questionnaire will be sent to the referring clinician.听
- Appointments cannot be booked and confirmed until all questionnaires and background information have been provided.
听
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- Investigations ongoing.听听
- Patient is not accepting of diagnosis of FND.
- Active medico-legal/ worker鈥檚 compensation matters.听听
- Primary clinical issue other than FND.
听
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Once a patient is accepted into the clinic, it is free to attend. We only require the patient鈥檚 Medicare details.
听 -
Please contact the Neuropsychiatric Institute on 02 9382 3763 or email听SESLHD-POWNeuropsychiatricInstitute@health.nsw.gov.au. Please note we have long waiting times for the clinic so rescheduling appointments can mean long delays. Please contact us to discuss any concerns about the scheduled appointment time as early as possible.
听 -
As part of your clinical treatment, we will need to access information from other treating doctors and allied health clinicians. We will request the referring specialist to provide us with copies of any clinical documentation that is relevant to a patient鈥檚 diagnosis and treatment. We may also need to contact some of these care providers for clarification of clinical details as needed. This is a routine part of the treatment that all our services provide.
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Any referred patients not accepted for the clinic will receive FND resources to support their care and will continue care with the referring medical specialist. View FND resources in the tab above.
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The FND Clinic provides short-term intervention. Once the clinic is completed, patients鈥 care will be continued with their referring medical specialist. They will be provided with information about access to further treatment and care. View FND resources in the tab above.
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Mindgardens Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Clinic Resources
Here you will find some resources and information on Functional Neurological Disorders (FND).
We aim to provide FND patients, their community and health care professionals with useful information about FND to increase their understanding of the disorder and to find additional support.
Patient Resources
- FND Clinic - Principles and Aims
- FND Clinic - Patient resources
- FND Clinic - Accessing affordable healthcare
Clinician Resources
- Clinician resources - Full Multidisciplinary Team
- Clinician resources - Nursing
- Clinician resources - Occupational Therapy
- Clinician resources - Physician
- Clinician resources - Physiotherapy
- Clinician resources - Psychiatry
- Clinician resources - Psychology
- Clinician resources - Speech Pathology
Further Information - Patients
- The Australian FND network provides an听听for patients that can be freely accessed
- 听provides information and support about FND services in Australia
- FND Australia Support Services Inc provides an App with information and strategies to help people with FND better understand their condition:听
- 听is an international patient-run registered charity for patients with functional neurological disorders
- 听provides a downloadable app that aims to help patients with FND better understand, track, and ideally manage their symptoms
- 听provides a resource to help you find a psychologist
Further Information - Clinicians
- 听from听Neurosymptoms.org听aims to provide a better understanding of the symptoms of FND
- The听connects FND health professionals and provides information about FND to patients and their community
- The Australian FND network provides an听听for听clinicians听that can be freely accessed
- 听is a professional society for those who have an interest in FND. It provides a range of webinars and online resources for health care professionals and the FND community
- 听regarding non-epileptic attacks
Meet the team
The FND Clinic Lead Clinician and Chief Investigator is听Dr Adith Mohan, a Senior Staff Specialist in Neuropsychiatry and Research Fellow at 黑料网大事记鈥檚 Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), and brings together a multidisciplinary team of allied health staff in providing clinical assessment of referred patients at the NPI.
Related news
New Clinic Transforms Life of 21 Year Old
16 November 2023
21-year-old Grace Corkhill has found a new lease on life after being assessed and treated in a New South Wales-first tertiary clinical program for her diagnosis of functional neurological disorder, known as FND.
Funding Success to Transform Care for Common Neurological Disorders in Australasia
29 September 2022
Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer Dr Adith Mohan at 黑料网大事记 Sydney鈥檚 Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) has been awarded a Maridulu Budyari Gumal, the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE) grant to improve clinical outcomes for patients with Functional Neurological Disorders.
Funding success for Functional Neurological Symptom Disorders Clinic
13 September 2021
Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer Dr Adith Mohan at 黑料网大事记 Sydney鈥檚听Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), opens in a new window听has been awarded a Mindgardens Neuroscience Network Translational Research Grant to establish an intervention clinic for patients with Functional Neurological Symptom Disorders.
Our partners
Mindgardens Neuroscience Network is proud to fund the听Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) Clinic.
Mindgardens was established to improve the lives of people who experience mental health, drug and alcohol and neurological disorders.听Focused on real-world challenges, Mindgardens integrates research, patient health care and education, ensuring new insights can rapidly be introduced into practice. The FND Clinic is a powerful example of the Mindgardens approach, generating new research knowledge at the same time as providing exceptional support for people who experience this disorder.
Contact
Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI)听
The Euroa Centre听听
Prince of Wales Hospital听
Barker Street, Randwick NSW, 2031听
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