Enduring Strategy 2 – Improve mental health outcomes

This approach relies on a cultural shift from a largely reactive, acute, hospital-based system to one with a strong focus on harm prevention and services for early intervention, acute and recovery mental health, alcohol and other drug services.

Key priorities in 2023

• Undertake the first stage of works of the Graylands Reconfiguration and Forensic Taskforce project to house high quality contemporary forensic and rehabilitation facilities that reflect more appropriate models of care. Supported with $218.9 million in the State Budget for 2023-24 to 2026-27, a business case for first stage works, including options to include at least 53 additional forensic beds (five beds for a children and adolescent unit), is in development.
• Enhance suicide prevention, postvention and after care support by implementing the WA Suicide Prevention Framework 2021-2025, Bilateral Schedule on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: Western Australia and improve community-level data collection to better inform targeted suicide prevention strategies.
• Implement key recommendations from the Taskforce into Public mental health services for infants, children and adolescents aged 0-18 years in WA (ICA Taskforce) report.This includes a 2023-24 State Budget allocation of $7.1 million to establish and pilot a Community Infant, Child and Adolescent (ICA) Mental Health Service (ICAMHS) Hub in Bunbury for 2.5 years.
• Establish a 2.5-year pilot Acute Care and Response Team in the east metropolitan area, supported by $3.6 million in the 2023-24 State Budget. This mobile team will respond to children and their families and carers in a crisis or provide additional support children who need more frequent mental health support.

Report patient experiences in a transparent manner and embed consumer and carer voices in services to better connect a person’s journey in the mental health system.

Initiatives aim to reduce immediate pressures on emergency departments and inpatient beds and achieve longer-term system reform, based on the results of Mental health inpatient snapshot surveys previously conducted.

Key priorities in 2023

• Develop an Outcomes Measurement Framework to enable system-wide reporting, monitoring and evaluation training to community-managed organisations to help them improve outcome measurement.
• Measure patient experience by piloting Your Experience of Care Community Managed Organisations (YES CMO) survey in the community mental health and alcohol and other drug sector and a Carer Experience Survey (CES) in the public system.
• Implement 20 properties in metropolitan Perth in 2023-24 under the Youth Long-term Housing and Support Program to support eligible young people aged 16-24 years who have mental health issues, with or without alcohol and other drug issues. The program offers accommodation and coordinated clinical, psychosocial and alcohol and other drug support.
• Development of 32 additional Step Up/Step Down beds in Broome (6), Karratha (6), South Hedland (10) and metropolitan Perth (10 youth specific service).

Key priorities in 2023

• Develop a Western Australian Lived Experience (Peer) Workforces Framework and support the growth of the consumer, family/significant other and Aboriginal lived experience workforces, which assist people experiencing mental health, alcohol or other drug challenges, suicidal crisis, people who care for someone with these experiences, and those bereaved by suicide.
• Develop a 16-bed purpose-built supported transitional accommodation facility that offers accommodation and support to 16–24-year-olds who have severe mental health issues (with or without alcohol and other drug issues) and who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• Recruit Aboriginal Mental Health Workers throughout Western Australia to provide culturally appropriate care, with State Budget support of $5.7 million.
• Reconfigure the mental health inpatient ward at Perth Children’s Hospital, supported by $7.7 million capital investment in the State Budget.
• Establish and pilot a Community Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Hub in Bunbury for 2.5 years, with $7.1 million in the State Budget.
• Expand the frontline workforce for child and adolescent mental health services, state-wide, supported by a State Budget allocation of $6.4 million.
• Enhance the Touchstone service, which provides specialised care to children and adolescents with personality disorder related needs, with State Budget support of $4.8 million. Planning will commence from July 2023.
• Implement 8 key actions and 32 recommendations of the Infant, Child and Adolescent (ICA) Taskforce to achieve system reconfiguration, transformation and reform.

Achievements to date

• A 20 bed residential community recovery and rehabilitation mental health service in metropolitan Perth to support adults with severe and persistent mental health issues, opened for its first residents in late 2022.
• A 40 bed residential community recovery and rehabilitation mental health service in metropolitan Perth to support adults with severe and persistent mental health issues, comprises a 20 bed unit that opened in November 2022 and a 20 bed Prevention and Recovery Unit that opened in mid- 2022.
• Safe Haven Cafes opened at Royal Perth Hospital and Kununurra District Hospital to provide an after-hours alternative to emergency departments for people with mental health issues experiencing distress, who do not need intensive clinical and medical support.