Disability Justice Centres — Eligibility

Extract from Hansard

5613. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Disability Services

I refer to the plan to establish disability justice centres for people who have been found unfit to plead due to intellectual and/or cognitive disability, and to the high incidence of co-occurring mental illness and intellectual and/or cognitive disability, and I ask —

(1) Will people with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual and/or cognitive disability be eligible for a place in a disability justice centre?

(2) If no to (1), why not?

(3) If yes to (1), will treatment for mental illness be provided at the disability justice centres?

(4) If no to (3), why not?

Hon HELEN MORTON replied:

(1) Eligibility will be determined by the Mentally Impaired Accused (MIA) Review Board based on evidence of intellectual or cognitive disability. If mental illness is a secondary consideration the Board may determine it is appropriate for the individual to be placed at the Disability Justice Centre.

(2) Individuals who are determined unfit to plead on the basis of mental illness alone are unlikely to be placed at a Disability Justice Centre. There are other placement options available for them.

(3) Specialist treatment for mental illness will be provided by qualified mental health practitioners in the community or in a mental health facility. The Disability Justice Centre will not provide in house specialist treatment for mental illness.

(4) The Disability Justice Centre will be a specialist facility for MIA with intellectual or cognitive disability. There are existing forensic mental health facilities and services in place administered by the Department of Health.