❓ Hon Stephen Dawson asks about the role, staffing, projects, and implementation of the Mental Health Bill by the Office of Mental Health. The parliamentary secretary tables a detailed response outlining the OMH's responsibilities, structure, and involvement in the Mental Health Bill implementation.
AnsweredQoN 239Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
OFFICE OF
MENTAL HEALTH
239. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Office of Mental Health within the Department
of Health.
(1) What is
the role of the Office of Mental Health?
(2) How many
staff are employed within the Office of Mental Health?
(3) What tasks
are allocated to each staff member?
(4) What
projects is the Office of Mental Health currently working on?
(5) How will
the Office of Mental Health assist with the implementation of the new Mental
Health Bill?
MENTAL HEALTH
239. Hon STEPHEN DAWSON to the
parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the Office of Mental Health within the Department
of Health.
(1) What is
the role of the Office of Mental Health?
(2) How many
staff are employed within the Office of Mental Health?
(3) What tasks
are allocated to each staff member?
(4) What
projects is the Office of Mental Health currently working on?
(5) How will
the Office of Mental Health assist with the implementation of the new Mental
Health Bill?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(5) I
thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Due to the length
of this answer—it gives a number of roles, positions and tasks
allocated—I seek leave to table the response and have it incorporated
into Hansard .
Leave granted.
[See paper 1303.]
The
following material was incorporated —
(1) The Office of Mental Health (OMH) was established
with the appointment of the Executive Director in April 2013 as a
recommendation of the WA Government Response to the Review of the admission or referral to and the discharge and transfer
practices of public mental health facilities/services in Western Australia ('Stokes Review'), by Professor Bryant Stokes, July 2012.
The Executive Director of the OMH has responsibilities
recommended by the Stokes Review, which are:
To oversee quality
control and risk mitigation.
To provide liaison
between area Mental Health Services and the Department of Health (DOH), the
Mental Health Commission (MHC), WA Police, Drug and Alcohol services and
non-government services.
To develop the Mental
Health Clinical Services Plan in collaboration with the MHC.
To set policy, including
best practice and standards not under the remit of the Office of the Chief
Psychiatrist (OCP).
To develop standard
service provision documentation, including models of care, patient risk
assessment and management.
To oversee the compliance
of policies by the various service providers and reporting on those services
that do not comply.
To work closely with the
OCP to ensure compliance with regulations from that Office.
To develop Memorandums of
Understanding with the performance, activity and quality functions of the DOH.
The OMH is accountable
and reports directly to the Director General. The Executive Director of the
OMIT is an executive member of the DOH.
Additional responsibilities include driving and
optimising system performance regarding state-wide (i.e. Stokes Review) and
national reform, the Mental Health Bill, and stakeholder relationships.
(2) The OMH has been allocated 14 FTE, of which 11 FTE
are currently filled. There is currently 2 additional staff on short term
contracts.
(3-4) With the OMH established as per the
recommendations of the Government's response to the Stokes Review, the
current key function of the OMH is the implementation of the Review, reporting
to the Director General, Chair of the Implementation Partnership Group and the
Minister for Mental Health.
The
OMH is currently structured in two teams, described below as (a) and (b), with
a manager appointed to each team, each directly reporting to the Executive
Director:
(a) Portfolios
of responsibility include:
Implementation
of Stokes Review Recommendations—the OMH under the Government's
Response to the Review was assigned responsibility for the implementation of 66
Review recommendations, as well as 36 Review recommendations jointly with other
agencies;
Ministerial
support; and
State-wide policy
issues.
(b) Portfolios
of responsibility include:
Reporting
Functions;
Mental Health Bill
2013 implementation; and
Establishment of
Service and Data Agreements with the MHC.
Given
interdependencies across the portfolios, each team works in close collaboration
and across portfolio responsibilities. The OMH also works collaboratively with
the Health Services, the OCP, divisions of the DOH and the MHC.
(5) The OMH will facilitate the planning and
implementation of the DOH's responsibilities under the Mental Health
Bill 2013 (the Bill). All operational aspects of the Bill that impact on
delivery of mental health services are the DOH's responsibility to
implement. Such clauses make up the majority of the Bill. To promote a
consistent approach across all Health Services and based on an effective
state-wide approach, the OMH will work with Health Services to ensure a
coordinated approach to implementation.
The
Executive Director of the OMIT is a member of the MHC's Bill
Implementation Reference Group. Furthermore, the OMH facilitates the DOH Mental
Health Bill Implementation Group which has representatives from all the Health
Services and has a focus on operational implementation issues. This group will
guide the planning and implementation of the DOH responsibilities under the
Bill.
thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Due to the length
of this answer—it gives a number of roles, positions and tasks
allocated—I seek leave to table the response and have it incorporated
into Hansard .
Leave granted.
[See paper 1303.]
The
following material was incorporated —
(1) The Office of Mental Health (OMH) was established
with the appointment of the Executive Director in April 2013 as a
recommendation of the WA Government Response to the Review of the admission or referral to and the discharge and transfer
practices of public mental health facilities/services in Western Australia ('Stokes Review'), by Professor Bryant Stokes, July 2012.
The Executive Director of the OMH has responsibilities
recommended by the Stokes Review, which are:
To oversee quality
control and risk mitigation.
To provide liaison
between area Mental Health Services and the Department of Health (DOH), the
Mental Health Commission (MHC), WA Police, Drug and Alcohol services and
non-government services.
To develop the Mental
Health Clinical Services Plan in collaboration with the MHC.
To set policy, including
best practice and standards not under the remit of the Office of the Chief
Psychiatrist (OCP).
To develop standard
service provision documentation, including models of care, patient risk
assessment and management.
To oversee the compliance
of policies by the various service providers and reporting on those services
that do not comply.
To work closely with the
OCP to ensure compliance with regulations from that Office.
To develop Memorandums of
Understanding with the performance, activity and quality functions of the DOH.
The OMH is accountable
and reports directly to the Director General. The Executive Director of the
OMIT is an executive member of the DOH.
Additional responsibilities include driving and
optimising system performance regarding state-wide (i.e. Stokes Review) and
national reform, the Mental Health Bill, and stakeholder relationships.
(2) The OMH has been allocated 14 FTE, of which 11 FTE
are currently filled. There is currently 2 additional staff on short term
contracts.
(3-4) With the OMH established as per the
recommendations of the Government's response to the Stokes Review, the
current key function of the OMH is the implementation of the Review, reporting
to the Director General, Chair of the Implementation Partnership Group and the
Minister for Mental Health.
The
OMH is currently structured in two teams, described below as (a) and (b), with
a manager appointed to each team, each directly reporting to the Executive
Director:
(a) Portfolios
of responsibility include:
Implementation
of Stokes Review Recommendations—the OMH under the Government's
Response to the Review was assigned responsibility for the implementation of 66
Review recommendations, as well as 36 Review recommendations jointly with other
agencies;
Ministerial
support; and
State-wide policy
issues.
(b) Portfolios
of responsibility include:
Reporting
Functions;
Mental Health Bill
2013 implementation; and
Establishment of
Service and Data Agreements with the MHC.
Given
interdependencies across the portfolios, each team works in close collaboration
and across portfolio responsibilities. The OMH also works collaboratively with
the Health Services, the OCP, divisions of the DOH and the MHC.
(5) The OMH will facilitate the planning and
implementation of the DOH's responsibilities under the Mental Health
Bill 2013 (the Bill). All operational aspects of the Bill that impact on
delivery of mental health services are the DOH's responsibility to
implement. Such clauses make up the majority of the Bill. To promote a
consistent approach across all Health Services and based on an effective
state-wide approach, the OMH will work with Health Services to ensure a
coordinated approach to implementation.
The
Executive Director of the OMIT is a member of the MHC's Bill
Implementation Reference Group. Furthermore, the OMH facilitates the DOH Mental
Health Bill Implementation Group which has representatives from all the Health
Services and has a focus on operational implementation issues. This group will
guide the planning and implementation of the DOH responsibilities under the
Bill.
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