❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions a $12.8 million cut from the Mental Health Commission's budget. Hon Helen Morton responds that the funds were transferred to the Department of Housing to build step-up/step-down mental health facilities in Joondalup and Rockingham.
AnsweredQoN 795Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION — BUDGET CUT
I refer to the 2011–12 Annual Report on State Finances tabled in the house today. With respect to the $12.8 million that has been cut from the Mental Health Commission, what policy decision or decisions have been taken since the budget that resulted in that cut, and what services will be impacted by the cut? Hon HELEN MORTON
I refer to the 2011–12 Annual Report on State Finances tabled in the house today. With respect to the $12.8 million that has been cut from the Mental Health Commission, what policy decision or decisions have been taken since the budget that resulted in that cut, and what services will be impacted by the cut? Hon HELEN MORTON
AnswerView source ↗
I have not actually seen the paper that was tabled today, but I assume that it refers to the $12 million that was transferred to the Department of Housing. One of the things identified by the Mental Health Commission very early in the piece was that there is a requirement for us to have step down, step up facilities, with one initially to be based in Joondalup and one in Rockingham. These are incredibly contemporary approaches to mental health. Before somebody gets so ill that they need to go to an acute hospital, there needs to be a place in which they can get a level of care and support that is greater than they are getting in the community. Equally, some people are discharged from hospital because they do not clinically require that acute level of care any longer but before they are ready to function comfortably and safely in the community. Having an intermediate care facility will enable them to move from a hospital into a step-down facility such as one of these places. We made an allocation of $12 million in the budget to build two of these facilities—a 22-bed facility at Joondalup and a 22-bed facility at Rockingham. As I say, I have not explored the information that the member referred to, but I recall seeing in the budget that money was being transferred from the mental health budget to the Department of Housing, which will have responsibility for procuring and building those two facilities.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I have not actually seen the paper that was tabled today, but I assume that it refers to the $12 million that was transferred to the Department of Housing. One of the things identified by the Mental Health Commission very early in the piece was that there is a requirement for us to have step down, step up facilities, with one initially to be based in Joondalup and one in Rockingham. These are incredibly contemporary approaches to mental health. Before somebody gets so ill that they need to go to an acute hospital, there needs to be a place in which they can get a level of care and support that is greater than they are getting in the community. Equally, some people are discharged from hospital because they do not clinically require that acute level of care any longer but before they are ready to function comfortably and safely in the community. Having an intermediate care facility will enable them to move from a hospital into a step-down facility such as one of these places. We made an allocation of $12 million in the budget to build two of these facilities—a 22-bed facility at Joondalup and a 22-bed facility at Rockingham. As I say, I have not explored the information that the member referred to, but I recall seeing in the budget that money was being transferred from the mental health budget to the Department of Housing, which will have responsibility for procuring and building those two facilities.
I have not actually seen the paper that was tabled today, but I assume that it refers to the $12 million that was transferred to the Department of Housing. One of the things identified by the Mental Health Commission very early in the piece was that there is a requirement for us to have step down, step up facilities, with one initially to be based in Joondalup and one in Rockingham. These are incredibly contemporary approaches to mental health. Before somebody gets so ill that they need to go to an acute hospital, there needs to be a place in which they can get a level of care and support that is greater than they are getting in the community. Equally, some people are discharged from hospital because they do not clinically require that acute level of care any longer but before they are ready to function comfortably and safely in the community. Having an intermediate care facility will enable them to move from a hospital into a step-down facility such as one of these places. We made an allocation of $12 million in the budget to build two of these facilities—a 22-bed facility at Joondalup and a 22-bed facility at Rockingham. As I say, I have not explored the information that the member referred to, but I recall seeing in the budget that money was being transferred from the mental health budget to the Department of Housing, which will have responsibility for procuring and building those two facilities.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I have not actually seen the paper that was tabled today, but I assume that it refers to the $12 million that was transferred to the Department of Housing. One of the things identified by the Mental Health Commission very early in the piece was that there is a requirement for us to have step down, step up facilities, with one initially to be based in Joondalup and one in Rockingham. These are incredibly contemporary approaches to mental health. Before somebody gets so ill that they need to go to an acute hospital, there needs to be a place in which they can get a level of care and support that is greater than they are getting in the community. Equally, some people are discharged from hospital because they do not clinically require that acute level of care any longer but before they are ready to function comfortably and safely in the community. Having an intermediate care facility will enable them to move from a hospital into a step-down facility such as one of these places. We made an allocation of $12 million in the budget to build two of these facilities—a 22-bed facility at Joondalup and a 22-bed facility at Rockingham. As I say, I have not explored the information that the member referred to, but I recall seeing in the budget that money was being transferred from the mental health budget to the Department of Housing, which will have responsibility for procuring and building those two facilities.
I have not actually seen the paper that was tabled today, but I assume that it refers to the $12 million that was transferred to the Department of Housing. One of the things identified by the Mental Health Commission very early in the piece was that there is a requirement for us to have step down, step up facilities, with one initially to be based in Joondalup and one in Rockingham. These are incredibly contemporary approaches to mental health. Before somebody gets so ill that they need to go to an acute hospital, there needs to be a place in which they can get a level of care and support that is greater than they are getting in the community. Equally, some people are discharged from hospital because they do not clinically require that acute level of care any longer but before they are ready to function comfortably and safely in the community. Having an intermediate care facility will enable them to move from a hospital into a step-down facility such as one of these places. We made an allocation of $12 million in the budget to build two of these facilities—a 22-bed facility at Joondalup and a 22-bed facility at Rockingham. As I say, I have not explored the information that the member referred to, but I recall seeing in the budget that money was being transferred from the mental health budget to the Department of Housing, which will have responsibility for procuring and building those two facilities.
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