Estimates Replies

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

In reply to Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (24 July 2015). (Estimates Committee A)

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Health, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Health Industries):

1. Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) provides a service to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. The service includes both lands based and fly in, fly out workers. CAMHS work on the APY Lands has been funded through both State and Commonwealth sources, some of which is time limited.

Currently the CAMHS APY Lands service consists of 6.8 full time equivalent (FTE) staff. Three of the clinical staff live on the APY Lands, two staff fly in, fly out on a fortnightly basis (one week on/one week off), and 1.5 clinicians who drive to the lands from Port Pirie three times a term (one or two week trips) There is also 0.3 of a position for psychiatry to provide clinical supervision and support to clinicians and assessments of children and adolescents one week per school term and urgent telehealth assessments as required.

The cost of delivering CAMHS services on APY lands is approx. $1,689,876 per annum.

2. CAMHS does not use charter flights. Transport to and from the APY Lands is a mix of commercial flights and cars. The service is funded for the cost of commercial flights from Adelaide to Yulara at approximately $700 per person one way, and vehicle hire which is also required while on the APY Lands at $1,700 per month per vehicle.

In the 2014-15 financial year, CAMHS spent $118,292 on travel for APY lands staff.