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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-05-24 Daily Xml
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Adaire Community Mental Health Centre

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse. How will the Adaire Community Mental Health Centre provide mental health services to the southern suburbs community?

The Hon. L.A. VLAHOS (Taylor—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse) (15:00): I would like to thank the member for Kaurna for his question. I would also acknowledge the passion and dedication that both the members for Kaurna and Reynell have for mental health services in the south. I often hear their concerns and those of the lived experience communities that they represent. They both joined me in meeting the official opening party at the Adaire Community Mental Health Centre at Noarlunga in late April, and it was an absolute privilege to attend the opening of the centre.

The centre was named in honour of the late mental health services staff member, Kathryn Adaire, who died in tragic circumstances, and it is part of the six community mental health services that have been developed in our state. Community mental health services is a very busy part of our health system, and at the Noarlunga service there have been roughly 51,980 community contacts in this financial year to date.

Not only do we know that the $2.8 million centre is impressive in its own right but it represents how mental health services are changing and constantly evolving in our state. It brings together community mental health specialists and allied health teams for one base of operation. This means that around 70 staff are under the same roof working together, day by day, in the same space creating better outcomes for health consumers in the south. The clinical-related staff consist of a wide range of specialisations, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and administration and clerical support staff.

As a result of this, the centre and the community in the south will receive better mental health outcomes and care with the integration of assessments, interventions, and other clinical supports. The centre will offer more collaboration between clinicians, and collaboration means something that is invaluable to the consumer. Together with the Noarlunga team, they will have a success to build on for the future. The level of integration the centre provides will have flow-on effects across the broader mental health system and the region that it helps. I have already seen some of these collaborations in action with the mental health nursing training day I recently spoke at on Thursday.

I would like to place on the record my thanks for the passion, commitment and representation of the south of Dr Andrew Champion, the Unit Head of the Outer South Metro Mental Health Services of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network; John Mannion, the Director of Mental Health Strategic Operations in SALHN; and John Strachan, Sector Manager of the Outer South Mental Health Services at SALHN, who led the planning with the architects in this process.

I would like to acknowledge the work of Cheesman Architects for their specialist fit-for-purpose build and design of the centre. The design of the centre was done in consultation with the fantastic local staff, who enjoy working in these light-filled spaces and can collaborate so easily. I also acknowledge the dedicated work of all the clinicians and backup teams that achieve such important targets in the south.

The South Australian government will always continue to evaluate and improve on how we deliver services. The taxpayer and the consumer expect us to provide the very best value for money and the very best level of service to all people in our state. Even in the face of $20.1 million cuts from the commonwealth government in mental health, we know that we are continuing to do the very best we can with the services we provide.

The opening of the Adaire Community Mental Health Centre represents how services across our state are improving and leading to better care for some of the most vulnerable South Australians in our community.

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