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.