Page 3127 - Week 08 - Thursday, 7 August 2008
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Mental health
(Question No 2081)
Dr Foskey asked the Minister for Health, upon notice, on 17 June 2008:
(1) What steps are being taken during the review of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act to progress options for providing a legal framework for Mental Health Advanced Care Directions;
(2) Could the review work with the working group established by the Mental Health Consumer Network, the Carers Alliance and the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT (MHCCACT);
(3) When will the Advanced Agreement Alert be added to the Mental Health ACT database;
(4) Is any training being provided to Police and Emergency Services to look for the ICE (In Case of Emergency) number in mobile phones;
(5) What support is ACT Health providing to the Mental Health Consumer Network, the Carers Alliance and the MHCCACT to produce, print and market the Mental Health Crisis Card;
(6) Is it a fact that only clinicians can access the Advanced Agreement paperwork; if so, why.
Ms Gallagher: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
(1) During the Review of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994, Mental Health Advanced Care Directions have been raised for discussion in both the Discussion Paper released in August 2006 and the Options Paper released in November 2007. The subsequent consultation periods received submissions and feedback from forums that advanced an understanding of Advanced Care Directions within the legal context. This information has been referred to the Review Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the Government regarding any future amendments to the Act. The Review Advisory Committee is made up of government and community sector mental health stakeholders and includes; Mental Health Consumer Network, Carer representatives, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT and the ACT Youth Coalition;
(2) The working group, referred to in your question, has organised community forums and panel discussions to advance understanding of Mental Health Advanced Care Directions during the Review consultation periods. The working group is represented in the Review Advisory Committee by the Mental Health Consumer Network, Carer representatives, and the Mental Health Community Coalition ACT;
(3) The issue of an Advanced Agreement Alert being included on the Mental Health database will be addressed when the current contract negotiations with the software provider, who supplies and maintains the database, have been finalised.
(4) The Police and ACT Emergency Services report that looking for the ICE number on mobile phones is not currently a specific element of their training. The ACT
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