Detainees reject support

Ashley still trying to recruit on-site psychologist

SEVEN months after the Ashley Youth Detention Centre’s sole on-site psychologist quit, some detainees are refusing to access remote mental health support via video-link.

The notorious detention centre, located near Deloraine, has not provided on-site psychology services since November 10.

With the vacancy remaining unfilled, support has meanwhile been delivered to the detainees weekly using telehealth.

Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) assistant state secretary Lucas Digney said workers at Ashley believed the children “need and deserve” face-to-face services.

“It is very difficult to connect with the young people detained at AYDC at the best of times due to the underlying trauma-based issues the vast majority of them endure,” Mr Digney said.

“(Our members) have also reported refusal of some young people to engage via telehealth.” The most significant issue for workers at Ashley was the “chronic” understaffing, he said.

Alysha, a former clinical practice consultant at the detention centre who asked that her surname not be published, said the children she had seen engage face-to-face with a psychologist at Ashley had “got so much out of it”.

“If there was any cohort of children in the state that require very intensive psychological or psychiatric help, it’s these kids,” she said.

“I don’t think we can realistically expect to rehabilitate them or help them work through their trauma or the core reasons for their offending in any meaningful way without that specialised support occurring.”

A Communities Tasmania spokeswoman said the department’s attempts to fill the psychologist position had so far been unsuccessful but that it continued to work with the Health Department to “progress recruitment of a dedicated position in the future”.

“Telehealth is recognised across Australia and internationally as a contemporary mode of mental health care delivery,” she said.

“In addition, a psychiatrist attends AYDC monthly and … a general practitioner also attends the centre every Friday and, as part of their practice, GPs provide primary mental health care.

“The centre also has on-site primary health care nursing services who are also able to provide primary mental health interventions.”