Chief Minister Gallagher has opened a new Step-up, Step-down supported accommodation service for mental health treatment:
Ms Gallagher launched the sub-acute youth (18-25) Mental Health Step-up, Step-down supported accommodation service on site in Kambah.
The provision of the mental health step-up, step-down service addresses key priorities identified in the ACT Mental Health Services Plan 2009-2014.
“This property is a visionary outcome for mental health services in the ACT. It demonstrates what can be achieved when Government and community mental health services work together to provide positive outcomes for mental health consumers.
“The great result we see here today is a property that is safe, fit-for-purpose, youth-friendly and appropriate for the mental health sub-acute programs operation.”
The ACT Government now supports three step-up, step-down services for adolescents (12-17), youth (18-25) and adults (26+).
The youth Step-up, Step-down program provides an intensive early intervention that is aimed at avoiding a hospital stay. ‘ Step-up’ occurs when a person is becoming unwell; ‘step-down’ provides short-term transitional support after discharge from an acute admission.