The Mental Health Act 2014 (external site) started on Monday 30 November in Western Australia.
The new Act relates to when mental health treatment and care can be provided, what criteria is to be used when referring people for psychiatric evaluation, and the rights of persons with mental health illness and their carers.
To ensure an effective roll out of the new legislation, for the first 6 to 12 months the Office of Mental Health will be working with a Health Department team to evaluate and receive feedback from health services’ representatives.
The Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Nathan Gibson, talks about the need for the new Act, how it came about, and the impact it will have on patients, their families and carers.
For more information about the Mental Health Act 2014 visit the Mental Health Commission (external site) and the Chief Psychiatrist of Western Australia (external site).