By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A ROVING after-hours service pairing a mental health nurse and a police officer will help people suffering mental health distress in Melbourne’s south east from next Monday.
The nurse – as part of the seven-nights-a-week mobile unit – will be able to do on-the-spot assessments of growing numbers of severely distressed people with a mental health condition or suffering the effects of alcohol and illicit drugs.
The service – funded by South Eastern Melbourne Medicare Local – is expected to improve their medical treatment, as well as free up police and emergency department resources.
The program is similar to a successful Police Ambulance Crisis Assessment Early Response model that has operated in other parts of Melbourne.
It is also supported by Victoria Police and Monash Health.
Inspector Wayne Viney of Casey police said the program would free up police queuing for hours in emergency departments with distressed people picked up in the street.
He said the nurse could also bring valuable advice to police in seige negotiations.
Police, despite not being mental health experts, were often the first-point-of-call for a growing number of incidents involving mental health distress.
Inspector Viney said he had been “swamped” by police officers who wanted to join the team and who were keen to improve their dealing with people with mental health conditions.
South Eastern Melbourne Medicare Local chief executive Annie Peek said the aim of the program was to support “the person at home rather than within the emergency department”.
“It is hoped that this initiative will have a significant overall impact on both police and emergency department utilisation and provide a much needed service throughout Melbourne’s south-east.”
