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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-04-12 Daily Xml
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Mental Health Services

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Can you update the house on your recent visit to mental health service providers in New South Wales and Victoria?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS (Taylor—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (15:19): I thank the member for Reynell for her question and her ongoing commitment to supporting consumers and carers on their journey to wellness, particularly when they have been ill from the conditions they face. Last week I met with mental health service providers based in New South Wales and Victoria—Project Air, Orygen Youth Health HYPE Program, and Spectrum Personality Disorder Service in Victoria.

These service providers have a particular specialty in servicing consumers diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). For those in the chamber who may not be familiar with BPD, it is a serious mental disorder that is associated with significant psychosocial impairment and emotional irregularity.

Previously I had met with a number of South Australian carers and families who have lived experience with BPD, people who were experiencing high levels of anxiety for the wellbeing of their loved ones. It was valuable to see the different approaches that each program offered, both to consumers and their carers.

Whilst each program had a different approach to what type of services they provided, there were common themes in working closely with clinical evidence and research, and I have consulted with the interim Mental Health Commissioner of SA Health, Mental Health Coalition of South Australia and borderline personality disorder advocates about the service delivery models in South Australia. The South Australian Mental Health Commissioner has also been asked to explore this issue further.

I also had the opportunity to discuss intellectual and psychiatric comorbidity with National Disability Services in Sydney. Psychosocial supports in the context of the NDIS is an evolving discussion and one that is very important. The joining of the two portfolios of disabilities and mental health and substance abuse can provide assistance in progressing this and maturing this area of research and delivery.

I would like to thank the clinical and research teams from these programs who made briefings available to my staff and their service delivery model's knowledge. It informs a crucial part of the South Australian government's commitment to continuing and developing mental health services for South Australians facing these challenges. I look forward to working with all stakeholders in this space.

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