I couldn't be clearer - there will be no reduction in capability at the St John's Park Intensive Residential Parent Unit.
The model of care includes a multidisciplinary team and will continue to support families with current moderate to severe mental illness as occurs today.
Support includes residential and day program assistance for issues such as sleep and settling, feeding concerns, behaviour, family attachment, parental anxiety, parental mental ill health, support for multiple births, parental wellbeing and parental exhaustion.
The same health professionals who care for mothers now at the Royal Hobart Hospital will be available to support families at St John's Park.
The model of care for the St John's facility includes support for parents who experience moderate to severe perinatal mental illness through joint admission with their infant or child.
However, if mental ill health is acute to the extent that the mother and/or the baby's safety is at high risk - higher acuity mental health support may be required through admission to a mental health inpatient unit without their infant. Again, this is the same approach that happens at the current service today and is always a decision made by clinicians.
Labor has reached new lows with its fearmongering.
We have expanded services for mothers across the State.
While Labor pushes a misinformation campaign, we are getting on with delivering a new, purpose-built unit for mothers and their babies.
