Eating Disorders Association of South Australia

In reply to the Hon. K.L. VINCENT (17 May 2016).

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety):

The Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse has advised that SA Health have advised:

The non-government sector plays an integral part of our mental health system, including support services for the treatment of eating disorders. That is why SA Health undertook an open market tender process in 2012 to provide support services for people with a lived experience of panic anxiety, obsessive compulsive and eating disorders (PACE).

Centacare Catholic Family Services were the successful tenderer and have provided services since 1 January 2013.

The PACE program provides non-clinical, recovery-orientated telephone, face to face, online advice and group support for all people across the state seeking assistance.

I have been advised that from 1 January 2016-30 June 2016 the PACE program provided the following services:

613 individuals participated in recovery support groups

1,443 face to face and telephone support contacts

71 individual contacts for advocacy services

SA Health also provides the Statewide Eating Disorder Service (SEDS) a specialised mental health service for South Australians located at Flinders Medical Centre which provides assessment, care and information for people living with an eating disorder.

In relation to any new national contact services, I am not aware of any new commonwealth initiative of this type that specifically addresses eating disorders.

Disappointingly, commonwealth funding for the Butterfly Foundation's National Eating Disorder telephone helpline has only been confirmed until 30 June 2017.