2023-07-05
The Centenary Hospital for Women and Children Expansion Project has reached another key milestone, with the opening of the new 14-bed Adolescent Unit today.
The new inpatient unit, which has been designed specifically for Adolescent patients, has eight medical and six dedicated mental health beds. This is the first time the ACT public health system has had dedicated mental health beds for young people.
The Canberra Health Services’ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) will operate the six dedicated mental health beds – providing care for young people who require treatment for acute mental illness.
The eight medical beds will cater for young people who have been admitted to hospital, with two of these being designed so they can be easily adapted to meet demand in the unit at any given time.
Features of the new Adolescent Unit also include:
• 1 negative pressure room
• 1 bariatric rated room with lifter
• A treatment room
• A sensory room within the Mental Health section of the Unit
• Interview spaces, and
• A dedicated place for recreation and therapeutic activities, a family lounge and courtyard.
Artwork by Canberra based artists Paul Summerfield, byrd and Julie Bradley, and Indigenous artist Natalie Bateman, has been produced and curated for the new unit to help create a place of healing and inspiration for the young people receiving care.
For more information on the Centenary Hospital Expansion Project, visit the Built for CBR website.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Mental Health Emma Davidson:
“This new, fit-for-purpose unit has been designed with adolescent wellbeing in mind, and it will allow young Canberrans experiencing mental health crises to receive appropriate care, in the best setting.
“While we are strengthening our acute mental health service offering inside our hospitals, we are equally focused on developing complementary programs for our young people – programs that enable the transition to community-based services.
“That’s one of the reasons why the Adolescent Day Program, which provides support to young people who are at risk of hospitalisation for mental health reasons, was recently relocated from Belconnen to the ground floor of this new building dedicated to adolescent health.
“I look forward to seeing these two integrated and dedicated mental health services for young people make a real difference in our community and surrounding region.”