CREST AND COMIT REFERRAL STATISTICS BY SOURCE IN PAST THREE YEARS AND ASSESSMENT ON APPROPRIATE CARE TIERS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 433

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 3 FEBRUARY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Hamid Razak

MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC

Question No. 1251

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) in each of the past three years, what have been the (i) average caseloads (ii) session frequency and (iii) duration of cases, handled by Community Outreach Teams (CREST) and Community Intervention Team (COMIT) workers, respectively; and (b) how does the Ministry ensure workloads remain safe and sustainable as demand for their services rises.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 438

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 3 FEBRUARY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Hamid Razak

MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC

Question No. 1273

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) what proportion of allied health professionals in Community Outreach Teams (CREST) and the Community Intervention Team (COMIT) are registered with their respective professional bodies; and (b) what plans are in place to ensure appropriate professional credentialing as these teams are expanded.

NOTICE PAPER NO. 436

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 3 FEBRUARY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Dr Hamid Razak

MP for West Coast-Jurong West GRC

Question No. 877

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) in each of the past three years, how many referrals have been received by Community Outreach Teams (CREST) and Community Intervention Team (COMIT) workers as broken down by referral source such as step-up, step-down, or self-referrals; and (b) how does the Ministry assess whether referrals are appropriate to the intended tier of care.

Answer

1         Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Questions 40 & 41 together? My reply will also address the written question raised by the Member in today’s Order Paper.

2         MOH currently does not track the registration status of CREST and COMIT professionals.

3         Since 2025, minimum qualifications have been established to ensure consistent competency across CREST and COMIT staff. CREST and COMIT professionals also receive training to achieve competencies defined in the National Mental Health Competency Training Framework. This includes participation in regular case discussions with psychiatrists from our public hospitals.

4         From 2022 to 2024, CREST supported over 19,000 clients a year on average. Each professional managed about 90 clients per year, with clients receiving 6 to 7 sessions annually, with an average programme duration of 1.5 years before discharge. Of the referrals received, self-referrals, referrals from other agencies, and step-down referrals from hospitals and primary care accounted for 46%, 41% and 13% respectively.

5         From 2022 to 2024, COMIT supported over 14,000 clients a year on average. Each professional managed about 70 clients per year, with clients receiving 5 to 11 sessions annually, with an average programme duration of 1 year before discharge. Of the referrals received by COMIT, step-down referrals from hospitals and primary care, referrals from other agencies, and self-referrals accounted for 41%, 36%, and 23%, respectively.

6         The Practice Guide for Tiered Care Model for Mental Health provides referral criteria and guidance to CREST and COMIT.

7         MOH, together with the Agency for Integrated Care, maintains close monitoring of service capacity of CREST and COMIT to determine future care model including resourcing of manpower, to ensure that quality care is delivered sustainably to meet the needs of our residents.