News

Work beginning on new mental health facility

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 09:04:00

A local company has won a major contract to build a new mental health facility in Mildura.

Mildura Base Hospital has announced King’s Constructions as the successful contractor to build the $4.4-million-dollar Prevention and Recovery Centre (PARC) in Boyden Street.
Work is now due to start later this month on the PARC, which is a community-based integrated facility offering a short to medium-term residential facility for voluntary patients.
The MBH Director of Mental Health Services Belinda Pavilach said the 10-bed facility would allow mental health patients to have local access to more effective support and treatment.
“The PARC facility is a massive step forward for us in supporting people with mental health issues,” Ms Pavilach said.
“It is a step up-step down facility, allowing people to begin their recovery journey in their own community, within their existing supports and networks.”
The PARC is due to be completed late in 2017.
MBH Associate Director of Mental Health Services Chris Hermans said the Boyden Street neighbourhood had been very positive and supportive of the plans since they were announced last year.
“Fencing is going up around the site and Kings are expecting to begin construction later in the month,” Mr Hermans said.
“We will be contacting residents again soon to keep them up-to-date, but because it’s a large vacant area the builders will be able to set up on-site and we don’t expect there will be any major inconvenience,” he said.
“We’ve been in touch with residents throughout the process and, as always, they should contact me directly at MBH Mental Health on 5022 3500 if they have any concerns or questions at any stage.”
Currently most people requiring mental health services in Mildura are treated within the community, with MBH Ward 5 providing in-patient services for acute mental health issues.
Mr Hermans said once operational, the PARC step up-step-down facility would provide 24-hours a day supervised care.
“PARC services are a really effective option for mental health patients who would access services from within the community, but who would benefit from the more intensive support that can come with short to medium-term residential support,” Mr Hermans said.
“The PARC will be a safe and supportive setting for people who are finding it difficult to cope at home.  It will provide an opportunity for early intervention and clinical treatment with a focus on recovery,” he said.
Five beds will be for short-stay patients for up to 28 days, and five mid-term stay beds would be for patients requiring up to six months of clinical support, stabilisation and recovery.
“It’s a facility for people whose main challenge is with mental health issues, rather than drug or alcohol-related issues,” Mr Hermans said.
“Having our own facility here will allow people to continue to access their support networks and to be involved in community life, which is obviously better for the client and their family,” he said.
“But from a community perspective, achieving positive outcomes on recovery, prevention and reintegration is obviously where we want to make progress as well.
“PARC addresses a community demand for improvement to mental health services and a positive investment in service delivery and better outcomes for our clients and our community.”