On 14 March 2008, Minister for Mental Health, Lisa Neville opened Barwon Health’s Prevention and Recovery Care (PARC) Service at the Community Rehabilitation Facility in Belmont. This service will be used by a specific group of clients aged between 16 and 64 years who are experiencing a serious mental illness and whose level of acuity indicates they will benefit from short-term residential support and intensive clinical treatment and intervention.
Minister Neville said at the opening, “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.”
Barwon Health Chair, Claire Higgins thanked the State Government for providing $1.28 million a year to run the service and for the additional $805,000 that was spent on works and improvements.
She added, “The funding has also allowed us to deliver day programs and clinical support for a further fourto eight clients, which is either delivered in their own homes or within existing Pathways Rehabilitation and Support Service facilities, or via attendance here during the day. The day programs are provided in partnership with Pathways Rehabilitation and Support Service.”
Barwon Health’s service is one of 10 PARCs established or under development in Victoria, with the Brumby Government building a further five 10-place PARCs over the next four years.
3/14/2008 |