We need an Adolescent and Young Adult Mental Health Ward in FNQ

A parent's story.

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My teenage daughter has had direct experience of the mental health services in FNQ.  She has been assessed by them several times and once she was admitted to the Adult Mental Health ward in Cairns. However given the conditions there, there was no way in hell I was leaving her there even for one night.  Young people should not have to stay with adults - the horrors and scars this imparts is worse for them than any illness and can cause further problems. Not to mention how casual they are with the in patients walking around mingling with each other - very scary for a teenager having to deal with sleezy remarks etc from male patients. My daughter was 'hit on' the minute she got there.

Letter from an FNQ parent.
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My lovely 15 year old daughter is currently a patient on the Adult Mental Health Ward at Cairns Base Hospital. She has been there for 3 months as it is not safe for her to be at home.
I have begged the doctors to find somewhere more suitable than the Adult ward for her; I have written letters to the Hospital Board, the Minister for Health and the Premier to help get a better option than where she is, but I am continually told that there is no other option.
We have been told that she can go to the Barrett Centre near Brisbane, however, only when one of three acute care beds becomes available and this may not be till February or even longer. (The Barrett Centre is a small intensive therapeutic centre for adolescents, and is under threat of closure). The Adolescent Ward in Brisbane (the only one in the State) declined a referral, however I feel sure that if we lived in Brisbane, she would not be on an adult ward.
We need adolescent inpatient services in the Far North and we need improved community based services and programs.
Under any other circumstances a young adolescent would not be in with adults, both men and women. She is exposed to the behaviours of unwell adults, men in flimsy pyjamas, swearing, shouting, and adults trying to hurt themselves and others.
We were initially turned away from Child and Youth Mental Health in Cairns and only started receiving some services after my daughter's first admission to hospital in February last year (4 months later).
These services also do not include any group, therapy, counseling or treatment other than monitoring medication.
Our children are being neglected by a state mental health system that continues to fail them in regional areas. The two beds proposed for Cairns Base for adolescents in
2014 is not going to be anywhere near what is needed.
Please support this petition.

An FNQ parent's story.
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My 16 year old son was unwell when I took him to the local Mental Health Unit. He was put into the Adult Mental Health Ward at Cairns Base Hospital. I was absolutely horrified that an adolescent could be put in with mentally ill adults. I sobbed a lot that night but was reassured that this was the best place for him.
I went with my instinct on this, and when I wasn't sitting with him I sat in the foyer at the entrance and observed.
He was there for a week and a half. My number one concern was safety. The supervison of minors is grossly inadequate. My son, a polite, gentle boy, was in psychosis, and not in 'reality' and would often wander into the area where most of the adults resided, unnoticed by the staff. One day I went out for lunch and when I came back couldn't find him. I then found him walking up the long dimly lit corridor with an adult male patient to the man's room. I didn't know what that was all about but he was so vulnerable I was scared for him. I had pleaded with the Cairns staff consistently over that week and a half to find a more appropriate place or to please let us go to Brisbane, but was told this was absolutely the best place for him. (the only Adolescent Mental Health ward in the State is in Brisbane). I believe it is because I made a big scene that day that a transfer was arranged to Brisbane. I believe that if I hadn't done this, my son would have been emotionally, morally or physically damaged just by being on the adult ward. He would definitely have kept going backwards at an escalating rate. This unit is no place for our children and 16 year old is still a child. He is still in Brisbane staying with family members as he is getting the care he needs there. I miss him so much it's heartbreaking. I would love to say "come home" but that would be selfish as I know there is just not the help he needs up here in the far north. I fly down to see him as often as I can. My son is making slow progress. I wish we had facilities like that here so he could be at home.

A letter from a parent in Cairns in support of our petition.
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In support of a dedicated Mental Health Ward for Adolescents/Young People under the age of 25.

My 20 year old daughter has been known to the Mental Health system in Cairns for 3 or 4 years. A very troubled young woman she can present well. We have tried on many occasions to get help for her in an emergency situation, when her aggression has placed both her and others around her at risk, without success. My daughter is sometimes 'psychotic', and she can scare herself as she feels out of her own control.

On many occasions I have asked for help for my daughter but this was not forthcoming. In general she has been contained in a lock down room in the Emergency Department and sedated (which is containment, not help). When she is released and put onto anti psychotic medication she is unable to manage taking this herself and stops. (she lives independently of her family).

On one occasion she was placed in the High Security area of the Adult Mental Health ward where patients had a security guard on a one to one basis. I visited her there and was approached by a big and unwell man who tried to assault me. It must have been very frightening for a young girl, as it was for me. She was kept in this area so that she would be safe, so that nothing bad would happen to her.

In the general area of the ward, she was mixing with older people as in much older (40s and 50s), again unwell, so totally unsuitable for a young girl.

I believe that my daughter, who is normally a lovely, calm and spiritual young woman, is frightened by how aggressive she can become when unwell. When she was on the Adult Mental Health ward she just wanted to feel safe from hurting other people and herself, but this was not possible. She could not feel safe in such an environment.

There is barbed wire and concrete there, it just seems like a place of containment that is not effective in keeping patients safe.

What we desperately need in Cairns is a dedicated centre for young people with mental illness where they do not have to mix with older patients. A place for those under 25 who can't look after themselves or need help to keep themselves safe and supervised. And an environment conducive to them getting better, with good programs in place and supportive follow up.
A Mum.

Well done FNQ community! We now have over 2,000 signatures. I was interviewed about this for Hot and Sea FM and hopefully was on their morning shows today. The Cairns Post has approached Lawrence Springborg, Health Minister for Queensland, for a comment (don't know if we have one yet!), and Michael Trout's Office has been very busy supporting us.
Paper petitions are being distributed - do send me an email on thedeclancrouchfund@ kochfoundation.org.au if you would like one for your suburb or community.
I hope to soon send round more real life stories that show just why we need this.
Keep up the good work and once again thanks for you support. Together we can save lives! Ruth

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT. AMAZING WHAT SUPPORT THERE IS - I ONLY HAD TO ASK.....ANYTHING TO DO WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IS SO HIDDEN AND STIGMATISED. LET'S GET IT OUT THERE!
Launching a paper petition on Sunday January 13th at Bunnings in Cairns where we will be having a fund raising sausage sizzle for the Declan Crouch Fund. Please DO NOT sign it if you signed online. The number of signatures is growing, now we need to take this to those who won't see this online. If anyone is willing to put a paper petition in their local area, a corner shop, a pub, newsagent, servo, please post on the Facebook page 'Declan Crouch - Let's remember him by saving lives', or email me on thedeclancrouchfund@kochfoundation.org.au Or set up a table in the high street on a busy Saturday morning! Or post here, but not sure I will read every post now as there are so many. Also, if you have direct experience of where the lack of an adolescent/young adult mental health ward in FNQ has caused real difficulties, could you please share it with me. I would like to share these (anonymously) further to really highlight the issue.

Talking Atherton, Mareeba, Ravenshoe, Innisfail, Tully, Cardwell, Cooktown, Mosman, Port Douglas, Kuranda, Georgetown, Mission Beach, etc etc. Thank you so much for supporting this petition to demand proper help for our young when they need it.
Together we can do this! Together we can save lives!
I will try and get some media attention.....
Ruth