Page 3152 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 12 September 1990
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Electricity and Water Act -
Determination of fees - No. 48 of 1990 (G32, dated 15 August 1990)
Electricity and Water Regulation - No. 13 of 1990 (S59, dated 31 August 1990)
Plumbers Drainers and Gasfitters Board Act - Determination of fees - No. 59 of 1990 (G35, dated 5 September 1990)
Water Rates Act - Determination of fees - No. 47 of 1990 (G32, dated 15 August 1990)
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CARE SERVICE
Ministerial Statement and Paper
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts), by leave: Mr Speaker, the Alliance Government budget for this year has made provision for $211,000 to be allocated for the implementation of an after-hours mental health crisis service. I expect this service to be in operation by November of this year. Until now, mental health services have been limited to telephone counselling provided by Lifeline or counselling and other forms of treatment provided by the accident and emergency departments of our hospitals, especially Woden Valley Hospital.
A notable deficiency has been the absence of out of business hours assistance when a crisis occurs at home or elsewhere in the community. As many commentators have noted, crises are not conveniently limited to business hours. The absence of this assistance has produced considerable burden to some families; has led to delays in implementing the necessary treatment; and, at times, may have led to hospitalisation when early assistance could have prevented this outcome.
A second problem for the mentally ill has been the frequent long delays in obtaining help in the accident and emergency departments. It is understandable that patients with serious trauma or a potentially life-threatening illness take precedence in this department. But it is not satisfactory that persons in a state of severe emotional distress, or those with disturbed behaviour, should wait many hours, often to be seen by staff with little experience in treating mental health problems.
The proposed service will address both these problems. In brief, a specially trained psychiatric nurse will be available at all times to assist people suffering emotional distress or a mental health crisis. A mental health crisis telephone number will be widely publicised and persons or families seeking advice will be able to telephone at any hour. If assistance is required in the community the team will attend. Mobile telephone equipment will ensure the crisis worker remains available even when outside the hospital.
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