Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Development of the Bowral Mental Health Service

There is no doubt in my mind that in 1994 when I first came to live in Bowral the service that was being provided to patients with mental illness, to their families and carers, and to the general community was lacking in staff, specialty and support. Since 2001 there has been a gradual, but sustained, change in the scope of Mental Health services provided; in the combined skills of the current staff; and the level of support; in the public and private sector - provided to those people who rely on assistance to bring about some normality to their lives. Now, by 2009, there has been increased staffing to be able to develop a separate Adolescent Mental Health Service (Centre of Youth); a more clinically focused rehabilitation and recovery program (Berrima Cottage); a Bowral Hospital Consultation Liaison Service; Welfare services; Aboriginal Mental Health service; Boarding House Liaison service; Clozapine Clinic; and Older Persons Mental Health service. During the same period, there has also developed increased liaison with other service providers such as Argyle Community Housing, the Benevolent Society of NSW, Carers NSW, Schizophrenia Fellowship, Illawarra Disability Trust, Southern Highlands Bereavement Care Service, Bowral Youth Refuge, Youth Off the Streets, Triple Care Farm, Mission Australia, Anglicare, Family Support - to name just a few. In addition, they have been able to provide additional support to existing Bowral Community Health services to be able to enhance their services and programs provided to people who require them. Some of these include improving general intake and triage of persons being referred to the Health Centre; Child and Family services; and Generalist Counselling services. In order to maintain a flow of high quality future clinicians into this specialised field in health services, the Bowral Mental Health Service provides the necessary fieldwork placement opportunities for nursing, medical and allied health students. Similarly, the local community is provided the opportunity to better understand the great challenges faced by people with mental illness, and by the people who are their families and carers. A world renowned education program - developed here in Australia - "Mental Health First Aid" is available to be offered to anyone in the community or to anyone involved in the care of persons with a mental illness. Two members of the Bowral Mental Health service have accreditation as MHFA trainers to be able to provide these 12 hour training programs in the community.

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