Department of the Legislative Assembly, Northern Territory Government

Community Visitor Program

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WRITTEN QUESTIONS
10th Assembly


19/07/2005

214. Community Visitor Program

Ms Carney to MINISTER for Family and Community Services

QUESTION
Community Visitor Program

Minister the Community Visitor Program deals with complaints about Mental Health Services and is meant to keep a check on services to ensure they are being provided correctly. It runs out of the Anti-Discrimination Commission, which sits in the Department of Justice.
    Minister I understand the budget for this unit in 2004-05 was $70 000.
      1. Could you advise if the Budget for this Unit has changed for 2005/06.
      2. Minister, currently the unit is not funded to provide an inspection service to places like Tennant Creek or Nhulunbuy even though these places have Mental Health Services. Is this an issue or problem that you will be addressing and when.
      3. Minister is part of the problem for this Unit the fact it sits within Department of Justice and Department of Health and Community Services.
      4. Given all the problems we are facing with regard to the provision of Mental Health Services, don’t you think this unit, which is meant to monitor them and deal with complaints, should be well resourced.

      ANSWER


      Answered on 18/12/2006

      The budget for the Community Visitor Program in 2004-05 was $70,000.

      The Community Visitor Program’s Principal Community Visitor, Mr Tony Fitzgerald, has sought and obtained an additional $50,000 per annum for the program from the Department of Health and Community Services. The funding will take effect from 2006-07.

      The Department is satisfied that the additional funding will be sufficient to meet the Department of Health and Community Services’ expectations of the program.
      Last updated: 04 Aug 2016