LOGAN Hospital has been kitted out with a 13-bed addiction and mental health ward to relieve pressure from emergency department personnel.
Mr Dick said a team of staff, including psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff and occupational therapists, would work with patients for up to three days, with those needing further help able to be admitted to longer stay wards.
Mr Dick said patients discharged from the hospital after short-term stays in the addiction and mental health ward would also be referred to community support services for further assistance.
“In some cases, patients don’t need to be admitted to a long-stay mental health ward, but they do require intensive observation until the initial crisis has passed and referral to other appropriate community support services,” he said.
A Queensland government spokesperson said the opening of ward followed a series of recent steps taken by state government to help people struggling with mental health, drug and alcohol problems.
The spokesperson said these included case management funding to help parents with substance abuse problems and the creation of community engagement and prevention positions based in Logan and the Gold Coast.
The spokesperson said funding for these initiatives was delivered in the latest budget and in accordance with the $350 million Connecting Care to Recovery 2016-2021 plan.
