Hon Adele Farina asks about referrals, assessments, and staffing for the South West Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (SW CAMHS) in 2015-16. The response provides data on referral numbers, assessment types, wait times, and emergency department support.

AnsweredQoN 4272Legislative Council
Asked
16 August 2016
Portfolio
Child Protection

QuestionView source ↗

(1) In 2015-16, how many children and/or adolescents were referred to the South West Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (SW CAMS) for an assessment? (2) In relation to (1): (a) how many received a desktop assessment; (b) how many were assessed in person by a clinician; (c) how many were assessed in person by a clinician, whose FTE was allocated to SW CAMHS; (d) how many of the children and/or adolescents assessed remain a patient of SW CAMHS; and (e) what was the average wait time between referral and assessment in person by a clinician? (3) Are clinician's employed by SW CAMHS on 24 hours call to attend either Bunbury emergency department or Busselton emergency department to assess a child patient presenting to the emergency departments with mental health problems?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
11 October 2016
Responded by
Minister for Planning representing the Minister for Child Protection
Response time
56 days
(1) In 2015-16, 569 children and adolescents were referred to South West Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
(2)(a) 569 received a desktop assessment.
(b) 489 were assessed in person by a clinician.
(c) 489 were assessed in person by a clinician whose FTE was allocated to SW CAMHS.
(d) 166 were admitted to the service. As of 15 September 2016, 50 of these are still patients of the SW CAMHS.
(e) The wait time between referral and assessment is up to two weeks; however urgent assessments are seen on the day of referral.
(3) Psychiatric Liaison Nurses provide services to Bunbury Emergency Department between the hours of 0700hrs-2300hrs. In addition to this, there are on-call specialist Psychiatric medical resources to review children and young people presenting to the Emergency Department over a 24 hour period.

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