Page 4202 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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MS BURCH: Indeed, I took the material available from the education unit here, and that was also with the bag.
Health—mental health crisis assessment and treatment team
MS BRESNAN: My question is to the Minister for Health and is about the mental health crisis assessment and treatment team, otherwise known as CATT. Minister, through a recent question on notice I submitted, you confirmed that the ACT government is considering renaming CATT by removing the word “crisis”. On what basis has this recommendation been made and what other titles are being considered?
MS GALLAGHER: I am sorry, I missed the last sentence after “on what”. Could you repeat the last bit of the question?
MS BRESNAN: On what basis has this recommendation, which is in regard to taking the word “crisis” from CATT, been made and what other titles are being considered?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Bresnan for the question. I am not sure I have got the title that is being considered for renaming the crisis and assessment team. It is, as I understand it, out for discussion at the moment. A final decision has not been made. As I understand it—and I am happy to get a briefing for you on this—there has been a review of the community-based teams and the crisis and assessment team. There has been a review done into the services and the allocation of work through the community and the crisis teams. I think that over time there has been pressure placed on the crisis and assessment team to respond over and above what their original scope of work was. I think this is an attempt to address that. It is around managing expectations of what CATT is there to do and pulling together the community and the crisis teams. I am happy to get you further information. I have not had a recent briefing on where all those discussions are up to, but I certainly undertake to do that now.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary, Ms Bresnan?
MS BRESNAN: Will the ACT government ensure that any new name for CATT continues to apply to consumers and carers and that the service is one for people in crisis situations?
MS GALLAGHER: There is no seeking to change the work that the crisis team actually does; so, yes, in that sense. But I think there is, at times, pressure put on the crisis and assessment team to go further than their original scope of practice or their commission. We are discussing it. A final decision, as I understand it, has not been taken, and I will get an up-to-date briefing and provide that to you if that helps.
MR HANSON: Supplementary, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, have you received any representations from the mental health sector regarding the inadequacy of the CATT in performing its role, due to its low staffing numbers?
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