April 2008

Centre boosts mental health support

Geelong’s new 14-place ‘mid-way house’ to treat people with a mental illness will significantly expand the range of psychiatric services available in the region.

Officially opening the Barwon Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) centre at the Barwon Health Community Rehabilitation Facility in Belmont, Minister for Mental Health Lisa Neville said it would provide residential support and clinical treatment to people with a mental illness in a deteriorating phase and help keep them out of hospital.

‘The new PARC centre will expand the range of mental health services for people living in the Barwon Region.

‘The service will play a vital role in assisting people with a mental illness on the road to recovery.

‘It will provide a more intensive level of care for up to 14 people at a stage of their illness between requiring hospital and returning home.

‘It also enables people to be discharged from hospital and continue to receive intensive support.

‘As they recover from the more acute phase of their mental illness, they are able to prepare to go back to community living.

‘The Barwon PARC targets adult clients experiencing a significant mental health crisis or illness.

‘They may require short-term residential support and clinical treatment to prevent them becoming sufficiently unwell to require hospitalisation.

‘The centre will offer less intense treatment to patients as they move out of hospital and continue to recover, acting as a bridge between inpatient treatment and community care.’

The State Government provided $805,000 for works and improvements at the Barwon Health Community Rehabilitation Facility to accommodate the PARC and to provide exercise, activity, treatment and group rooms.

The Government is also providing $1.28 million per year to staff and run the PARC.

‘The centre will provide residential support for six clients and also deliver day programs and clinical support for a further eight patients, who will return to their own homes each evening,’ Ms Neville said.

‘Barwon is one of 10 PARCs established or under development in Victoria and the Government will build a further five 10-place PARCs over the next four years.’