Programs pool their resources

Rockingham, Kwinana and Mandurah mental health services are pooling resources to work collaboratively to help at-risk youth, including at the acute hospital level.

Youth living with an acute mental health disorder have access to emergency support at Rockingham’s 26-bed Mimidi Park Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

Peel and Rockingham/Kwinana Mental Health Services co-director Dr Gordon Shymko said most people were admitted to Mimidi because they could not manage independently in the community and needed structured support.

He said more often those patients were at risk, but it was not always the case.

Dr Shymko said Mimidi Park regularly admitted people aged 18-25, but would support teenagers as young as 16 if there were no beds available at Fiona Stanley Hospital’s dedicated youth service.

“On average there are one to two admissions a day and the same number in discharges,” he said.

“About half the patients would be 18 to 25-year-olds , with about one admitted every day or two.

“Hospital stay varies depending on presentation, but average 12-17 days — we maintain a person for the duration of presenting problems until the condition has improved to the point they can manage again in the community.”

From there, community-based services kick in, with patients given a discharge plan with arrangements for follow-up appointments.

“They might have multiple points of contact such as headspace, Youth Focus, PaRK, but we like to make contact with clients face-to-face within seven days from discharge,” Dr Shymko said.

“We are trying to look at existing services, spanning across public and non-government to make it work effectively, because more money doesn’t necessarily solve all problems.

“Generally speaking it would be helpful to upgrade services to cater for the community, but we have to make what we have work.”