❓ Question regarding suicide prevention services in the South West, particularly in Bunbury, following a research report. The Minister acknowledges the report and outlines actions taken, including funding and initiatives to address service gaps, especially for out-of-hours and youth services.
AnsweredQoN 506Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SUICIDE PREVENTION services — SOUTH
WEST
506. Hon ADELE FARINA to the Minister for Mental Health:
I refer to the high number of
suicides in the Bunbury coronial jurisdiction in 2010–11.
(1) Has the
minister read the research report by the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation
titled '' life in the South West of Western Australia: A study of
existing suicide prevention services'' dated January 2011?
(2) With respect
to each of the key findings —
(a) what
action has been taken to address the finding; and
(b) how much
funding has been committed?
(3) I refer to
the service gaps finding, and in particular in relation to services out of
hours for adults and at all times for children and adolescents, and ask the
minister: what action has or is being taken to address this significant gap in
services?
WEST
506. Hon ADELE FARINA to the Minister for Mental Health:
I refer to the high number of
suicides in the Bunbury coronial jurisdiction in 2010–11.
(1) Has the
minister read the research report by the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation
titled '' life in the South West of Western Australia: A study of
existing suicide prevention services'' dated January 2011?
(2) With respect
to each of the key findings —
(a) what
action has been taken to address the finding; and
(b) how much
funding has been committed?
(3) I refer to
the service gaps finding, and in particular in relation to services out of
hours for adults and at all times for children and adolescents, and ask the
minister: what action has or is being taken to address this significant gap in
services?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice
of this question. I also acknowledge the great work that Val Lishman does in
the area of health research in Bunbury and the south west area. I have met with
Val Lishman on a couple of occasions.
(1) Yes, I have
read the report that the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation put out
entitled '' LIFE in the South
West of Western Australia''. In fact, I read it not long after it was
released in January 2011.
(2) (a) On 18
August 2011, the Minister for Mental Health provided a letter of support as
requested by the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation to assist with its
funding application to the royalties for regions program. The funding proposal
was to extend the foundation's model for community-based promotion of
health research to other rural regions in Western Australia. On 29 June 2012,
the Minister for Mental Health—that is, me—met with members of
the City of Bunbury Council, including Mayor David Smith, and at that meeting
discussed suicide rates in the Bunbury coronial jurisdiction and the link-up
with the research by the Val Lishman foundation, and effectively collaborating
with local government around mental health events, programs and facilities.
While I was down
there, I obviously had the pleasure of meeting with a great number of people
who were similarly involved in a number of the services engaged in suicide
prevention and mental health services generally. I have to say that it was one
of the most heartening visits to a regional centre, in terms of mental health
collaboration, in the time I have been a minister, and I commend the people of
the south west for their collaboration around mental health services.
(b)
As part of the state government's $13 million WA suicide prevention
strategy, a number of community action plans are being implemented in the south
west region. I table an attached document that outlines the five organisations
involved in suicide prevention, how they are going about it and the funding
that has been allocated to those groups in the south west.
[See paper 4795.]
Hon
HELEN MORTON : The answer continues
—
(3) There are a
number of initiatives to expand mental health services in the south west. As
part of component 2 of not-for-profit organisation sustainability funding, the
Mental Health Commission has requested that existing service providers address
how best to provide out-of-hours service provision. The Mental Health
Commission will give consideration to proposals to inform new service
agreements, starting from July 2013. New investment was provided to the
Department of Health in 2011–12 to employ two additional mental health
professionals to enhance specialist community mental health services for
children and young people in the south west. The new investment in the south
west is part of a broader commitment of recurrent funds of $1.6 million to
improve access to mental health services for children and young people living
in rural and remote areas. The Mental Health Commission is working with the
South West Development Commission to jointly fund a service coordinator
position that will assist in developing capacity to deliver youth friendly
service responses and improve service coordination in the region.
The Mental Health Commission's
50 per cent funding share is $60 000 a year and the part-time position will be
funded for two years. As members would be aware, recently, in June 2012, the
commonwealth government announced that a headspace centre has been approved for
Bunbury in 2012–13.
of this question. I also acknowledge the great work that Val Lishman does in
the area of health research in Bunbury and the south west area. I have met with
Val Lishman on a couple of occasions.
(1) Yes, I have
read the report that the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation put out
entitled '' LIFE in the South
West of Western Australia''. In fact, I read it not long after it was
released in January 2011.
(2) (a) On 18
August 2011, the Minister for Mental Health provided a letter of support as
requested by the Val Lishman Health Research Foundation to assist with its
funding application to the royalties for regions program. The funding proposal
was to extend the foundation's model for community-based promotion of
health research to other rural regions in Western Australia. On 29 June 2012,
the Minister for Mental Health—that is, me—met with members of
the City of Bunbury Council, including Mayor David Smith, and at that meeting
discussed suicide rates in the Bunbury coronial jurisdiction and the link-up
with the research by the Val Lishman foundation, and effectively collaborating
with local government around mental health events, programs and facilities.
While I was down
there, I obviously had the pleasure of meeting with a great number of people
who were similarly involved in a number of the services engaged in suicide
prevention and mental health services generally. I have to say that it was one
of the most heartening visits to a regional centre, in terms of mental health
collaboration, in the time I have been a minister, and I commend the people of
the south west for their collaboration around mental health services.
(b)
As part of the state government's $13 million WA suicide prevention
strategy, a number of community action plans are being implemented in the south
west region. I table an attached document that outlines the five organisations
involved in suicide prevention, how they are going about it and the funding
that has been allocated to those groups in the south west.
[See paper 4795.]
Hon
HELEN MORTON : The answer continues
—
(3) There are a
number of initiatives to expand mental health services in the south west. As
part of component 2 of not-for-profit organisation sustainability funding, the
Mental Health Commission has requested that existing service providers address
how best to provide out-of-hours service provision. The Mental Health
Commission will give consideration to proposals to inform new service
agreements, starting from July 2013. New investment was provided to the
Department of Health in 2011–12 to employ two additional mental health
professionals to enhance specialist community mental health services for
children and young people in the south west. The new investment in the south
west is part of a broader commitment of recurrent funds of $1.6 million to
improve access to mental health services for children and young people living
in rural and remote areas. The Mental Health Commission is working with the
South West Development Commission to jointly fund a service coordinator
position that will assist in developing capacity to deliver youth friendly
service responses and improve service coordination in the region.
The Mental Health Commission's
50 per cent funding share is $60 000 a year and the part-time position will be
funded for two years. As members would be aware, recently, in June 2012, the
commonwealth government announced that a headspace centre has been approved for
Bunbury in 2012–13.
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