Hon. Sally Talbot questions the Minister for Mental Health regarding defunding of the Ishar Multicultural Women's Health Centre's perinatal mental health home visiting service. The Minister clarifies funding continues until Dec 2013, pending a new agreement with the Commonwealth.

AnsweredQoN 458Legislative Council
Asked
15 August 2013
Portfolio
Mental Health

QuestionView source ↗

ISHAR MULTICULTURAL WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTRE
458. Hon SALLY TALBOT to the Minister for Mental Health:
(1) Is the
minister aware that the perinatal mental health home visiting service run by
the Ishar Multicultural Women's Health Centre in Mirrabooka has been
defunded by the Mental Health Commission?
(2) Why has this vital service lost its funding?
(3) What replacement service is being offered to families in
need of this service?
(4) Will the minister restore the funding without delay; and,
if not, why not?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) The Ishar
home visiting service has not been defunded. The Mental Health Commission has
provided grant funding until 31 December 2013. This visiting service was a
supplementary service to the culturally and linguistically diverse women's
support group that was funded recurrently under the national perinatal
depression initiative and delivered by Ishar.
(2) Not applicable.
(3)–(4)
Funding for the home visiting service remains available until 31 December 2013.
The Mental Health Commission is negotiating with the commonwealth government to
develop a replacement agreement for the national partnership agreement
supporting the national perinatal depression initiative that expired on 30 June
2013. It is not possible to make a decision about the future service mix until
the new agreement is finalised.

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