Mental health minister Andrea Mitchell will be in Mandurah on Thursday afternoon to announce details of a new youth mental health service, to be run from Peel Health Campus.
The new Hospital in the Home service would be a $1 million trial project to service 130 children in the Peel region and through-out the South West.
Ms Mitchell said the trial would provide clinical care to young patients in their own home as an alternative to hospital admission.
“This initiative will see support being provided to children and adolescents experiencing mental health issues close to their families and loved ones,” she said.
“Home can often be a better setting for the patients requiring treatment and it can take a lot of pressure off the parents, care-givers and other family members.”
Ms Mitchell said this new model of in-home service would be preferable for many younger patients who would otherwise need to be admitted to hospital.
“For all intents and purposes, patients will be deemed to be hospital patients, but they will receive individualised hospital-level care in a home-based setting,” she said.
Ms Mitchell said the the Peel region was chosen for the trial because child and youth mental health was a significant community issue in the area.
Concerns about the number of youth suicides in Mandurah and the Peel region had raised by community leaders since December 2015, leading to a delegation from the region meeting the Prime Minister for help in April last year.
On Saturday Ms Mitchell was in Mandurah announcing funding for the Peel Youth Medical Service’s Youth Health Hub.
In January opposition leader Mark McGowan promised $5.5 million towards youth health and mental health services in the Peel region; $5 million for the Youth Health Hub and a further $400,000 towards the Three Tier youth mental health program.
Support is available by calling Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, Lifeline on 131 114, or beyondblue on 1300 22 46 36.