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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 828 asked in the Legislative Council on 21 November 2013 by Hon Lynn Maclaren

Parliament: 39 Session: 1

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

828. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Minister for Mental Health:

(1) As yesterday was Transgender Day of Remembrance, what action was taken by the minister to acknowledge the day?

(2) Following the minister's support of the World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day motion, what action has been taken to audit services for transgender men and women?

(3) What crisis accommodation services are available that accommodate transgender men and women in Western Australia?

(4) What new crisis services will be introduced in this term for transgender men and women?

(5) Does the new Mental Health Bill include provisions addressing the needs of transgender men and women?

Hon HELEN MORTON replied:

I thank the member for some notice of the question.

(1) I have been advised that as part of the Pride Festival, a candlelight vigil was held in Perth to acknowledge transgender people who have lost their lives due to transphobia—that is, discrimination based on their gender identity.

The state government, through the Mental Health Commission, continues to work with community organisations to improve mental health outcomes for people who are transgender and to ensure equitable access to appropriate and responsive services. For example, the state government's strategic policy for mental health reform, ''Mental Health 2020: Making it personal and everybody's business'', has an underpinning principle of diversity. Under the state government's suicide prevention strategy, Gay and Lesbian Community Services received $181 220 to develop and implement a community action plan for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community.

In October 2012, funding of $75 000 went to GLCS to deliver the Opening Closets training program to mental health workers in both government and community-managed organisations and provide policy coaching to mental health services.

The Mental Health Commission provides recurrent funding of $199 673 to the Western Australian AIDS Council for the Freedom Centre to deliver early intervention programs for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex young people.

(2) All services funded by the Mental Health Commission must comply with the National Standards for Mental Health Services and are contract-managed through standard compliance procedures.

(3) Crisis accommodation services provide services consistent with community need. No client is denied a service based on gender, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, disability or the client's sexuality and gender expression. Services actively work to identify and eliminate any barriers clients may face in gaining support and work with them to provide suitable and acceptable accommodation.

(4) The Mental Health Commission is continuing to fund the Freedom Centre and the Gay and Lesbian Community Services' Opening Closets training in 2013–14. Additional suicide prevention and crisis services have been funded, which are inclusive of transgender people. In 2013–14, funding to Lifeline of $543 000 per annum over three years will provide crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services. Youth Focus will receive $2.5 million over five years to help young people and school communities to overcome issues associated with self-harm, depression and suicide.

(5) The Mental Health Bill contains a number of provisions that seek to ensure that diversity and individual circumstances are appropriately and sensitively recognised. This includes the needs of transgender men and women, although the word ''transgender'' is not specifically used in the bill.

Persons and bodies performing functions under the bill must have regard to the Charter of Mental Health Care Principles. The charter includes requirements that mental health services must treat people experiencing mental illness with dignity, equality, courtesy and compassion and must not discriminate against or stigmatise them; and recognise, and must be sensitive and responsive to, diverse individual circumstances, including those relating to gender, sexuality, age, family, disability, lifestyle choices and cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices. If a person or a carer feels that a service has not complied with the charter, a complaint may be made to the Health and Disability Services Complaints Office.

Clause 6 of the bill provides that a person does not have a mental illness merely because the person has a particular sexual preference or orientation.

Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich: Read the standing orders—short and succinct.

Hon Helen Morton: Ask short questions then.

The PRESIDENT: I was going to note that although I have no doubt about the relevance of the answer, I do have some doubt about the answer being concise as per the standing orders.