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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (21 November) . . Page.. 4216 ..

This will free up the Mental Health Service to concentrate on providing more effective services under a purchaser/ provider agreement.

Currently the Government is awaiting the outcome of a selection process being conducted by the University of Sydney before appointing The Canberra Clinical School's first Chair of Psychiatry.

It is anticipated that the Professor will assume the responsibilities of the Director of Mental Health as outlined in the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994.

Until this appointment, the senior psychiatrists at The Canberra Hospital have agreed to fulfil the statutory role on a rotational basis.

These changes are the first step in changing the focus to better meet community expectations.

The community itself has an important role to play in implementing these reforms which, to be successful, must be accepted and supported.

As part of the Government's commitment to enhancing the role of community services in mental health care, we have provided an additional $150,000 in the 1996-97 Budget to support a significant increase in community based supported accommodation options for people with a mental dysfunction.

Expressions of Interest were called for from community agencies in October and early November.

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