The NT needs more mental health support, say experts

THE Territory is in desperate need of more mental health support services, say experts. Top End Health traditional heath acting operations manager Maraea Handley said there was only five beds to care for all Territorians under the age of 18.

Young Territorians need more support, experts say. Picture: Dean Simon

THE Northern Territory is in desperate need of more mental health support services, say experts.

Top End Mental Health Services’ Maraea Handley, who works out of Tamarind Centre in Parap, said there were only five beds in the NT available for people under the age of 18.

That’s five beds to cater for the needs of nearly 66,000 young Territorians.

Ms Handley said the five beds were in the Greater Darwin area — which meant children from Central Australia, or who lived in remote or regional communities, needed to relocate to benefit from live-in treatment.

“We just don’t have enough beds,” she said.

“We don’t have enough services to cater for the population — it’s quite a lot of work.”

She wants more investment from the NT and Federal Governments to help expand local health services, and better support young Territorians in their time of need.

It’s a call echoed by AMA NT president Dr Robert Parker.

The prominent doctor said the Northern Territory’s mental health service was “probably the least funded” out of any Australian state or territory.

However, he said additional funding should be first directed to forensic and adult care — believing the youth facilities were currently managing demand.

“The problem for us is the pressure on main beds,” he said.

“There’s less beds funded for mental health in the Territory compared to anywhere else ... that’s contributed to the recent code yellow at Royal Darwin Hospital.”

Dr Parker said some admitted patients were forced to stay at RDH, rather than the mental health unit, simply due to a lack of resources.

“That’s a significant problem,” he said.

In terms of forensic mental health, Dr Parker said Territorians needed more support services.

“We’ve got the only ward in Australia where people with acute mental illnesses have to mix with prisoners,” he said.

“The contained behaviour unit has been built within Darwin Prison, that’s a 25-bed unit that’s got prisoners in it. It’s not managed by Health, it’s managed by Corrections.”

Dr Parker said the Northern Territory needed proper funding to make its contained behaviour unit a health facility, rather than a correction facility.

He said this would improve outcomes for patients, and assist in the delivery of services.