30 July 2012

Plans to build secure mental health facility - "a missing part of our system"

| Ruqi
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Katy Gallagher has announced that the ACT Government intends to build a 15-bed medium security mental health facility for mentally ill people involved in the criminal justice system.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher says a review has found the ACT requires a medium security facility.

“I understand that this is needed, I think this is a missing part of our mental health system,” she said.

“Now that we’ve taken those decisions about what we think a reasonable budget is and what type of facility we want, we need to proceed as quickly as possible.”

The facility will cost approximately $25 million, with $2 million in this year’s budget, and is expected to be running in four years.

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The other significant missing part of the mental health system is lack of any comprehensive treatment service for parents of young children who have mental health problems, such as postnatal depression in the public service. This may go a long way to prevent the criminal justice system burden. There is a psychiatrist who works one day a week. Population 400,000. Do the math.

gooterz said :

Are the rumors true that the ANU residence on northbourne once was a mental health facility?

Hah, that’s a new one. But not true.

HenryBG said :

Mrs_Potato_Head said :

bundah said :

DeskMonkey said :

I thought they put in a section for mentally ill people in the Alexander Maconochie Centre?

A temporary measure until the govt finally agreed to accommodate the mentally ill in a separate facility it would seem.

Surely they don’t lock the mentally ill inside the AMC just because they have mental health issues? It would be a sad indictment of our society, and the so-called Human Rights gaol, if that’s what they’re doing.

You’re right – they should let them roam the streets/beaches babbling incoherently and waving Kendo swords/knives until the police find them and shoot them.

What a success it has been, the leftie policy of “caring” for loonies by unleashing them into the community.

It should be simple – gaol is for lawbreakers, psychiatric wards are for the mentally ill. Unless the lawbreaker is mentally ill, then they shouldn’t be in gaol.

It’s obvious that Canberra needs a secure mental health facility with fully trained staff – the ill shouldn’t be placed in the AMC just because there is nowhere left to put them. But 15 beds seems a tad light on to me considering the stats say that mental illness in the community is climbing.

Couldnt they start combining this waste of money.

Not everyone needs their own building. We destroy a hospital only to build a dozen smaller individual ones that duplicate the servies to run them.

Are the rumors true that the ANU residence on northbourne once was a mental health facility?

I LOLd at the bit where Katy said:

“I think”

“I think this is a missing part of our mental health system,” she said.”

She thinks?

Who would’ve thought…

How_Canberran9:17 pm 31 Jul 12

Dibs on being nurse Ratched

Mental Health Worker8:45 pm 31 Jul 12

HenryBG said :

What a success it has been, the leftie policy of “caring” for loonies by unleashing them into the community.

And there was I thinking the closure of psychiatric hospitals was an Economic Rationalist approach to save money. Silly me. It was obviously another Communist conspiracy to destabilise society.

MHW

Mrs_Potato_Head said :

bundah said :

DeskMonkey said :

I thought they put in a section for mentally ill people in the Alexander Maconochie Centre?

A temporary measure until the govt finally agreed to accommodate the mentally ill in a separate facility it would seem.

Surely they don’t lock the mentally ill inside the AMC just because they have mental health issues? It would be a sad indictment of our society, and the so-called Human Rights gaol, if that’s what they’re doing.

You’re right – they should let them roam the streets/beaches babbling incoherently and waving Kendo swords/knives until the police find them and shoot them.

What a success it has been, the leftie policy of “caring” for loonies by unleashing them into the community.

Mrs_Potato_Head4:39 am 31 Jul 12

bundah said :

DeskMonkey said :

I thought they put in a section for mentally ill people in the Alexander Maconochie Centre?

A temporary measure until the govt finally agreed to accommodate the mentally ill in a separate facility it would seem.

Surely they don’t lock the mentally ill inside the AMC just because they have mental health issues? It would be a sad indictment of our society, and the so-called Human Rights gaol, if that’s what they’re doing.

kakosi said :

They’re going to need more than 15 beds!

Especially if anyone has a multiple personality disorder.

They’re going to need more than 15 beds!

Pork Hunt said :

Mr G, I suggest you attend so that you can have an input regarding your new home…

Damn, you beat me to it.

And I was not going to say it as a joke either. He really does concern me.

DeskMonkey said :

I thought they put in a section for mentally ill people in the Alexander Maconochie Centre?

A temporary measure until the govt finally agreed to accommodate the mentally ill in a separate facility it would seem.

It’s a good thing we demolished all those purpose-built mental hospitals. That solved all our problems.

I thought they put in a section for mentally ill people in the Alexander Maconochie Centre?

unclebill said :

There is a Community Forum On Monday 6th August Supporting prisoners with mental health issues at room 6, level 1 Griffin Centre Genge Street Civic. This facility is one of the topics to be discussed.
Feedback & questions will be encouraged.

Mr G, I suggest you attend so that you can have an input regarding your new home…

There is a Community Forum On Monday 6th August Supporting prisoners with mental health issues at room 6, level 1 Griffin Centre Genge Street Civic. This facility is one of the topics to be discussed.
Feedback & questions will be encouraged.

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