Left to right: Dr Ilona DiBella, Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and Kieran Dixon, Team Manager of the Adolescent Day Program.
13 July 2023
Two mental health services specifically for young people have opened in the new adolescent health-focussed wing of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children.
Located on the Canberra Hospital Campus, the new 14 bed adolescent unit includes eight medical beds and six beds for mental health patients. This is the first time the ACT public health system has had dedicated mental health beds available for young people.
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 be used for young people who have been admitted to hospital, with two being designed to be easily adapted to meet demand in the unit.
A safe place for young people
Clinical Director of CAMHS Ilona DiBella said the specialised team was experienced in working with young people and their families.
“The CAMHS Adolescent Mental health Unit is a safe place for young people as staff are conscious of and attentive to adolescent’s vulnerabilities,” she said.
“Having a dedicated inpatient space for young people from 12 up their 18th birthday experiencing mental health problems means that young people who require treatment for moderate to severe mental illness can now access this in a purposefully designed setting that considers their developmental, psychological and physical needs.”
Features of the new Adolescent Unit
The new Adolescent Unit includes:
- 14 patient beds – eight medical beds and six dedicated mental health beds
- a negative pressure room to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases
- a bariatric rated room with lifter for the treatment of obese patients
- 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.
New adolescent day program
The Adolescent Day Program has also moved into its permanent home at the Centenary Hospital. The new purpose-built facility provides a welcoming space that has been specifically designed for the program.
The program provides a range of mental health programs to support individual and group therapy, parenting sessions, activity-based programs and psycho-education to assist with the continued recovery of young people.
Kieran Dixon, Adolescent Day Program Team Manager said an important element of the program was young people being able to connect with “… others who have similar stories or have been through similar things and being able to have that shared experience and learn how to recover together.”
Healing artwork by local artists
Artwork has been created and curated for both the new adolescent unit and the Adolescent Day Program.
In the adolescent unit, artwork by Canberra based artists Paul Summerfield, byrd and Julie Bradley, as well as Indigenous artist Natalie Bateman helps create a place of healing and inspiration for the young people receiving care.
In the Adolescent Day Program, Canberra based visual artist Jodie Cunningham’s artwork helps to create an uplifting and engaging space.
For more information on the Centenary Hospital Expansion Project, visit the Built for CBR website.
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