❓ A parliamentary question regarding the restructure of the South Metropolitan Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), focusing on the timing of the Minister's awareness, proposed changes, and redeployment of senior nurses. The Minister's response confirms the restructure and redeployment, framing it as a positive development to improve community mental health services.
AnsweredQoN 252Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SOUTH
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
252. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Mental
Health:
I refer to the proposed restructure
of the south metropolitan community emergency response team.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house when she was first made aware of the south
metropolitan CERT restructure?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house of the proposed changes to the south CERT and when
they will take effect?
(3) Can the
minister confirm that seven out of 11 senior nurses who are currently a part of
south CERT are being redeployed, and why?
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
252. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH to the Minister for Mental
Health:
I refer to the proposed restructure
of the south metropolitan community emergency response team.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house when she was first made aware of the south
metropolitan CERT restructure?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house of the proposed changes to the south CERT and when
they will take effect?
(3) Can the
minister confirm that seven out of 11 senior nurses who are currently a part of
south CERT are being redeployed, and why?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1) How long ago is it that I heard about
it? It is months. I just cannot remember the exact date, but it is literally
months ago. Why was I aware of it? I was aware of it because we had been
talking at length about the problems in the community—the capacity of
community-based mental health services to provide the level of acute risk
management that is necessary for acute patients being discharged from hospital
or people who are becoming ill but do not need to go into hospital and the
absolute necessity to relook at how we provide those services at a community-based
level.
The CERT teams are a part of that process. The community mental health
services were a part of it. I am absolutely thrilled with the work that both
the CERT team in the south metro area health service and the CERT team in the
north metro area health service—which the member may not even be aware
of—have come up with. It is a fantastic outcome. They are now saying
that they will work together; that they will combine their services to provide
a very intensive, acute assessment and treatment service for people. It will be
up to a six-week program of absolute intensive work, which is precisely what I
have been asking them to do and I am just thrilled that they have been able to
respond to that.
(2) In terms of when those changes are
taking place: I understand that the south metro has already commenced and the
north metro may be commencing at the end of May. I am not 100 per cent certain
that I have those dates correct, but it is so close and is probably already in
place. However, off the top of my head, I cannot give the member the exact
date.
What was the last thing the member asked?
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Can you confirm that seven of the 11
senior nurses —
Hon HELEN MORTON : Yes. To continue —
(3) It depends how it is referred to. I think the member said ''deployed''.
Is that correct?
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes—redeployed.
Hon HELEN MORTON : I think the point about that is that they
may not be working in precisely the way that they were working before, and the
member can call that redeployed or anything she likes. The thing is, those
people are providing their skills and their services and there is no suggestion
that they will not be employed or that they will not be required or anything
like that. In fact, I believe that we may require more people to provide part
of that really intensive assessment and treatment program. Those people will be
providing their skills and their services around the community emergency
response team, which is what CERT stands for. Instead of sitting behind a
telephone and doing that, they will be out, on the ground, visiting people in
their homes to provide those services in a really intensive way. A much better
outcome!
The PRESIDENT : I welcome a former member of this chamber,
Hon Bob Thomas, to the President's gallery.
(1) How long ago is it that I heard about
it? It is months. I just cannot remember the exact date, but it is literally
months ago. Why was I aware of it? I was aware of it because we had been
talking at length about the problems in the community—the capacity of
community-based mental health services to provide the level of acute risk
management that is necessary for acute patients being discharged from hospital
or people who are becoming ill but do not need to go into hospital and the
absolute necessity to relook at how we provide those services at a community-based
level.
The CERT teams are a part of that process. The community mental health
services were a part of it. I am absolutely thrilled with the work that both
the CERT team in the south metro area health service and the CERT team in the
north metro area health service—which the member may not even be aware
of—have come up with. It is a fantastic outcome. They are now saying
that they will work together; that they will combine their services to provide
a very intensive, acute assessment and treatment service for people. It will be
up to a six-week program of absolute intensive work, which is precisely what I
have been asking them to do and I am just thrilled that they have been able to
respond to that.
(2) In terms of when those changes are
taking place: I understand that the south metro has already commenced and the
north metro may be commencing at the end of May. I am not 100 per cent certain
that I have those dates correct, but it is so close and is probably already in
place. However, off the top of my head, I cannot give the member the exact
date.
What was the last thing the member asked?
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Can you confirm that seven of the 11
senior nurses —
Hon HELEN MORTON : Yes. To continue —
(3) It depends how it is referred to. I think the member said ''deployed''.
Is that correct?
Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich : Yes—redeployed.
Hon HELEN MORTON : I think the point about that is that they
may not be working in precisely the way that they were working before, and the
member can call that redeployed or anything she likes. The thing is, those
people are providing their skills and their services and there is no suggestion
that they will not be employed or that they will not be required or anything
like that. In fact, I believe that we may require more people to provide part
of that really intensive assessment and treatment program. Those people will be
providing their skills and their services around the community emergency
response team, which is what CERT stands for. Instead of sitting behind a
telephone and doing that, they will be out, on the ground, visiting people in
their homes to provide those services in a really intensive way. A much better
outcome!
The PRESIDENT : I welcome a former member of this chamber,
Hon Bob Thomas, to the President's gallery.
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