National Human Rights Consultation Submission 

AGWW-7R55FL 

Name: Jenny Ford 

Submission Text: 

Mentally ill adolescents currently do not have the same access
 
to mental health services enjoyed by adults.
 

 
In the area where we live, for example, the out-of-hours crisis team will
 
only attend adults in crisis. Adolescents are expected to have their crises
 
between 9 and 5, Monday to Friday.
 

 
There is no hospital in our area health service which has both a paediatric
 
and a mental health service. An adolescent who has attempted suicide will
 
be patched up physically and then discharged by the hospital with paeds, or
 
will be housed with mentally ill adults in the hospital with mental health
 
services.
 

 
And we live on Sydney's Northern Beaches - hardly a remote area. 

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