Ardern announces sixunit secure mental health facility

WELLINGTON: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a new mental health facility for those with severe intellectual disability and mental health problems.

Ms Ardern made the announcement at the RatongaRuaOPorirua Mental Health Campus in Porirua, saying $8.4 million in funding would provide a new sixunit secure facility to provide individualised care for the most highneeds patients.

The move follows publicity over the case of autistic man Ashley Peacock, who has been in a small room at the psychiatric facility at Porirua for almost eight years, and is about to be moved into the community after years of battling by his parents.

‘‘It may be a small number of people who need this service, but at the moment we are not meeting that need,’’ Ms Ardern said.

Mr Peacock is due to be moved into the community soon, where he will live with specialist staff in a purposebuilt home managed by provider Community Corrections.

He was moved to the Tawhirimatea unit at Porirua in 2007 and into the ‘‘deescalation’’ wing in 2010 because of psychosis and violence issues.

The new units will be built at the RatongaRuaOPorirua campus by the Capital and Coast District Health Board and cater to those with intellectual disabilities or mental health diagnoses who are under the care of Mental Health Addiction and Intellectual Disability Services.

Mental health was one of the main campaign planks in Labour’s election campaign.

In January, Ms Ardern announced an inquiry into mental health and addiction by former health and disability commissioner Ron Paterson.

Health Minister David Clark said he expected the inquiry to report back in October and it would include ‘‘robust’’ recommendations for those with mental health issues. — NZME