Mental Health ACT Update

Welcome to the Your health-our priority Mental Health update on the Capital Asset Development Program (CADP). These updates will keep you informed on progress toward the building of the new mental health units situated at the Canberra Hospital and in the community.

Latest updates on new mental health facilities for the ACT.

Download:

June 2011 Edition (PDF File - 853k)

What are the Mental Health ACT projects?

Mental Health Assessment Unit (MHAU)

Following the planning and construction phases the MHAU opened in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Canberra Hospital in April 2010. This Unit provides specialised mental health assessment, crisis stabilisation and treatment for consumers who present to the ED.

Lounge area looking out to the courtyard in the completed MHAU

Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit (AMHIU) - Now Open

The new Adult Mental Health Unit has been designed to create an environment that provides people with hope, choice, privacy and personal space.

The building has been designed to incorporate good environmental practice. The unit has in-floor heating and cooling. There is extensive use of double glazing which will maximise the use of natural light.

More information

Adult Secure Mental Health Inpatient Unit (ASMHIU)

The ASMHIU will be a 15-bed facility providing care, treatment and rehabilitation for forensic and non forensic mental health consumers experiencing serious mental illness or severe mental dysfunction and who require high secure care due to their assessed level of risk to others. Following community, staff and public consultation processes, the facility is to be located on the former Quamby site at Symonston. An Executive Reference Group consisting of staff, consumers, carers, architects and the project management team are providing input into the planning process.

The design options stage for a 15 bed Adult Secure Mental Health Inpatient Unit is complete and has been considered by the ACT Government. In light of the capital cost escalation of all the options over the original budget, and the higher recurrent cost of a standalone facility, Government has decided to delay a decision onthe construction of the Adult Secure Mental Health Unit to allow a more detailed study of demand requirements following the completion of the Adult Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit, the impact of the Alexander Maconochie Centre and the availability of services in NSW to be conducted.

Key considerations in the decision include:

In the past access to high secure beds in other jurisdictions has been limited. However over the past 2 years additional secure and adult mental
health beds have been opened in NSW. A full analysis has not yet been completed of the impact of these additional beds on ACT access to care in NSW.
The impact of opening of the Alexander Maconochie Centre in 2008 on mental health services has not yet been fully assessed.

The Model of Care was opened for community consultation in 2010. Consultation has now closed; however it is available to download here.

Download:

Draft Preliminary MoC - Adult Secure Mental Health Inpatient Unit (PDF File - 1105k)

Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit (AYAMHIU)

Design options for the new 20 bed Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit (AYAMHIU) are currently being developed through the Executive Reference Group (ERG) to expressly support the special needs of two separate age groups: 13- 17 years and 18- 25 years.

The site selected is on the TCH campus. The MoC has now progressed to Stage 2 (detailed). It will be finalised at the operational stage.

The consultation period for Stage 1 of the Model of Care has closed, however it is available to download here.

Download:

Draft Preliminary MoC - Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit (PDF File - 820k)

Information/feedback?

If you wish to obtain further information about the progress of the mental health capital works or if you wish to provide input about a specific facility please contact Mental Health ACT on 6205 3151. Consumer and Carer representatives also sit on the Executive Reference Groups for each facility and can be contacted (via ACT Mental Health Consumer Network Ph: 6230 5796 or Carers ACT Ph: 6296 9936) about progress on these mental health projects.