Mandurah MP David Templeman has called for a full audit of youth mental health services in Peel after mental health minister Andrea Mitchell said a proposed local program would duplicate services that already exist.
Mr Templeman said if the minister thought services were adequate “she is either being incorrectly advised or she is plainly wrong”.
Ms Mitchell said on Friday the Mental Health Commission would not fund GP down south’s 3-Tier Youth Mental Health Program as the commission “has youth services and a youth crisis response mechanism in place with coordinated action by Departments of Health and Education and Youth Focus”.
However, Mr Templeman said parents, practitioners and young people had told him services in Peel were “inconsistent and timely response to crisis situations seems to be a major concern”.
“There are too many gaps in service, services when people need them are not able to always respond in a timely manner and many of those services are not based here in the Peel,” he said.
“There are no metal health beds in the Peel region.
“We urgently need designated mental health beds available here in the Peel rather than the current practice of sending patients off up to Perth where they have no immediate family support available to them when they need it.”
Mr Templeman said he would be taking the matter up with the minister.
“We must get a comprehensive idea of just what is available to who, when and how,” he said.
“We need a Mental Health Plan that delivers services locally, is resourced to respond locally and in a timely manner and we need people to be able to be treated here and be able to be accommodated in local Mental Health Beds if that form of treatment is required.”
The 3-Tier program, which would include presentations from former Fremantle Dockers player Heath Black, offers workshops and counselling for at-risk students and young people.
