Mental Health Committee visits Adelaide

Submissions to the Senate Mental Health Inquiry say there has been deterioration in mental health services in SA and the reduction in beds in psychiatric hospitals has not been matched by places in the community.

Senator Lyn Allison chairs the Inquiry which will hold a hearing today in Adelaide. The SA Public Advocate (OPA), St Vincent de Paul Society and the SA Department of Health are amongst those giving evidence.

"The OPA criticise the siege mentality of service provision, the adhocery that results from tendering services and short term funding strategies, that they say cause costly problems down the track," Senator Allison said.

"With most mental health funding now allocated to the soon-to-be-closed Glenside, Adelaide's only adult residential treatment facility, the OPA warns that decentralising services could mean funding is contingent upon the goodwill of the Government of the day and regional organisations."

Other key points made in SA submissions:
The current level of mental health services in prison 'must be regarded as inadequate and borders on the dangerous'. 'the number of available beds has declined from 30 down to 8' OPA;
The OPA has no right of access to detainees at Baxter or ability to provide advocacy. Extended periods of incarceration when there is no certainty about the future can only serve to exacerbate or create mental health problems potentially resulting in longer term or permanent disability OPA;
The St Vincent de Paul Society called for government buck passing to stop and criticised the incarceration of an immigration detainee for 14 months, now in solitary confinement, saying the appropriate assessment from the Mental Health Review Tribunal has been neglected for 8 months;
'. between 14 and 18% of children and young people aged 4 to 16 years experience mental health problems of clinical significance but receive only 7% of the mental health dollar' - Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association; and
'South Australia has identified a significant lack of long term supported accommodation options for people with disabilities, particularly psychiatric disability' - SA Government.

The mental health public hearing will be held in the Old Chamber Room of SA Parliament House today from 9.00am.
The committee will also visit Baxter detention centre on
Wednesday.