New Darling Downs mental health facility already planning to expand

The Darling Downs region is the worst region in Australia when it came to suicide rates – and that was before COVID-19 struck.

The Toowoomba Clinic

Since opening The Toowoomba Clinic, a privately owned 27-bed mental health clinic in October 2020, clinical director Dr Andrea Boros-Lavack said the much needed facility have been able to make a real difference to dozens of lives, with a stage two expansion already in the works.

‘The first patient to be discharged from The Toowoomba Clinic walked out the doors in October 2020 with tears in her eyes,” she said.

“When we asked, “Is something wrong?” she replied “I’m just so sad to be leaving”.

“The response was not what we were expecting but it was reassuring for my team and I that our efforts were on track and we were making a real difference.”

It has been 12 years since Dr Boros-Lavack first identified the need for a new holistic approach to treating mental health in Toowoomba.

At the official opening of The Toowoomba Clinic, the Darling Downs’ new mental health facility which opened last October. Clinical director, Dr Andrea Boros-Lavack said the facility is already due to receive expansions as part of stage two which will focus on youth and adolescent mental health with plans for stage three already in the works.

“The process has been exhausting with thousands of hours of planning, fund raising many millions of dollars, sourcing a suitable site, borrowing for construction, gaining approval from council, overseeing construction, recruiting a committed team of investors, clinicians and staff, creating governance structures, complying with local and State Government requirements, negotiations with Health Insurers and so much more,” she said.

“But we did it because there was and is a huge need and I was critical of the existing models of patient care and along with my supportive husband and practice manager Richard, we decided to step up and do something that would make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Dr Boros-Lavack said the mental health crisis facing regional Australia is being felt more on the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN than any other area in Australia.

“According to recent data by The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, our region’s suicide rates of 21.4 per 100,000 head of population nearly double the national average of 12.9,” she said.

“We knew the situation was bad, but we had no idea that the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network data was the worst region in Australia when it came to suicide rates and that was before COVID-19.

“Our new 27 bed hospital is perfectly positioned to help fill the gap created by publicly funded mental health beds that has failed to keep up with the growing demand.”

Dr Boros-Lavack said public health systems around Australia are struggling to provide enough access to a population that is now more aware of the need for good mental health.

“While community awareness means that the stigma associated with mental health is less than it has ever been, a slower rate of growth in public funding means the only way the problem can be addressed is through the provision of services privately,” she said.

At the official opening of The Toowoomba Clinic, a new private mental health facility which opened last October and is already making plans to expand. Clinical director, Dr Andrea Boros-Lavack (left) and Bronwyn McCullagh the director of nursing and CEO.

“Less than two-thirds of the psychiatrists in Toowoomba are treating their patients in hospital placing greater pressure on those who do.

“Our vision is to enhance access to quality mental health services for both inpatients and outpatients.

“Our holistic in-house approach offers psychiatry and a full array of treatments from the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as well as clinical psychologists providing a range of group therapy programs tailored to participants’ needs.

“And in the next month we will add an exercise physiologist, massage therapist, an onsite gym, a qualified diversionary therapist with an art room and a consulting dietitian.”

Dr Boros-Lavack said it’s only been just over three months since the Toowoomba Clinic first opened the facility and team are already exceeding projections.

“We have approval to build stage two which will focus on youth and adolescent mental health and plans for stage three are already advancing,” she said.

“To support our growth plans we are actively looking to add several credentialed psychiatrists to our team and have several consulting rooms we can offer to practitioners who want to be part of our exciting hospital project treating both outpatients and inpatients.

“Waiting lists for psychiatrists in private practices across Toowoomba are up to eight months and some practitioners have closed their books to new patients.

Dr Boros-Lavack said The Toowoomba Clinic are currently working on offering a number of extremely generous packages to attract more qualified mental health professionals to the region.

“We are offering incentives which include significant rent free periods, support staff and future investment opportunities to attract more professionals to Toowoomba.”