Statewide mental health initiatives given high priority in health budget

4/5/98

Statewide mental health initiatives have again been given a high priority in this year's $1.640 billion State health budget.

"The State Government has maintained its commitment to expand and improve mental health facilities throughout Western Australia this financial year and put an additional $6 million where its mouth is to meet that commitment," Health Minister Kevin Prince said today.

"This substantial injection brings the 1998-99 allocation for the continuation of the State Mental Health Plan to a massive $20 million and that is good news for mental health consumers and their families and health professionals working in that area.

"As a result, community-based mental health services will continue to be a priority for development and growth throughout the State."

Mr Prince said new mental health initiatives in the 1998-99 financial year would include:

+ a 15-bed in-patient unit at Bunbury;

+ a 10-bed inpatient unit at Albany;

+ plans for new inpatient units at Swan and Armadale;

+ the continued reallocation of 60-beds from Graylands and Selby Lemnos hospital throughout the metropolitan and rural areas;

+ plans for special rooming-in units at Kalgoorlie, Narrogin and the North-West;

+ expansion of child and adolescent services in country areas; + the development of plans for emergency and after hours services in rural areas;

+ expansion of the telepsychiatry program to 11 rural and six metropolitan sites;

+ the completion of an Aboriginal mental health plan; and -

+ the expansion of independent living programs in the non-Government sector.

"We are providing good locally-based mental health services not only in the metropolitan area but in rural and remote WA," the Minister said.

"The intention is to provide services where they are most needed so that in the future, only people with a very complex or severe psychiatric disorder will need to go to Graylands hospital.

"The State has clearly demonstrated its commitment to mental health and it will continue to work hard to provide integrative and readily accessible psychiatric services throughout the State."