MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES —
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE —CHIEF PSYCHIATRIST'S REVIEW
813. Hon ALISON XAMON to the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Mental Health:
I refer to the Chief Psychiatrist's
review of mental health services for children and young people.
(1) What is the review time frame?
(2) Who is it intended will be
consulted?
(3) Will the parliamentary secretary
please table any terms of reference.
(4) Given the
concerns raised by parents about the failure of schools to respond
appropriately to suicidal teens, will the review consider the intersection
between mental health services and schools?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
Hon ALANNA
CLOHESY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The review
will formally commence on Thursday, 20 August and will report by the end of
October 2020.
(2) As a minimum,
the following will be consulted: Ms Savage's family, child and
adolescent mental health service, Ms Savage's school, the Commissioner
for Children and Young People, the Mental Health Commission, the Ombudsman's office, and other services and young
people identified during the review processes.
(3) The terms of
reference will be tabled after they have been provided to and discussed with Ms
Savage's family and the Child and Adolescent Health Service, which will
occur early in the review process.
(4) The
intersection between mental health services and schools will be considered as
it pertains to this specific situation. The broader role of schools may need to
be considered outside the review as part of the Mental Health Commission's
young people priority framework. Any findings from the review will be fed into
the framework. I note that the Mental Health Commission currently funds the
response to suicide and self-harm in schools or the school response program.
This is an interagency program delivered by the Department of Education and the
child and adolescent mental health service and is aimed at ensuring that
school-age children have access to services and support.