Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People — Treatment Services

Extract from Hansard

5065. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Mental Health

I refer to recommendation 14 of the Commissioner for Children and Young People’s Report on the Inquiry into the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Young People from April this year, which calls for increased funding for the State’s Infant, Child, Adolescent and Youth Mental Health Service (ICAYMHS) so that it is able to provide comprehensive early intervention and treatment services for children and young people across Western Australia. I note especially that ICAYMHS estimates that it is currently only funded to provide service to 20 per cent of the children and young people who require it. I refer also to the 2007 Review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Western Australia and the Mental Health Commissions WA Mental Towards 2020: Consultation Paper which found that ICAYMHS was under-resourced, unable to meet the needs of its client group and that operating procedures and structures were inconsistent between ICAYMHS clinics. And I ask —

(1) Will the Government commit to increasing funding to ICAYMHS (through the Child Adolescent Health Service and the Western Australia Country Health Service) in the 2012–13 Budget so as to meet the needs of children in Western Australia suffering from mild, moderate and severe mental illnesses, and if so, by how much?

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

Hon HELEN MORTON replied:

(1) The Western Australian (WA) Government has committed new targeted growth funding of $6.54 million in 2012–13 to Child and Adolescent Health Services and the WA Country Health Service for mental health initiatives in metropolitan and regional areas. The Government made a commitment in 2011–12 to increase funding for infant, child and adolescent mental health services. Recruitment to positions is underway and the full deployment of the new investment is anticipated in 2012–13. Funding is recurrent and will continue to see the expansion and enhancement of services and supports available to infants, children and young people experiencing mild, moderate and severe mental illnesses.

(2) Not applicable.