A dedicated facility in the ACT for people to access care for their eating disorders is a step closer with a design tender being awarded to Collard Clarke Jackson Canberra Pty Ltd.
The residential centre will provide a home-like environment for people with eating disorders, their families, and carers. It will provide specialised support for their recovery journey including nutritional and psychological care so people can develop healthy relationships with food and exercise.
Minister for Mental Health Emma Davidson says this announcement takes Canberra closer to more robust and needs-focused mental health landscape.
“Canberrans with eating disorders need access to care services which are appropriate and flexible to their needs, from early engagement to ongoing treatment. The eating disorder residential centre is one service needed in the care landscape,” Minister Davidson said.
“The residential centre will complement other services in the ACT and deliver a stepped care model which provides appropriate support no matter where people sit on the continuum of need. It will be critical to support people who sit between low-level community care and intensive or clinical care.
“Commencement of the design phase will provide clarity on the location, development process and expectations around when the community can expect to access the service. We are still at the early stages, but this work is being developed together with other support services to ensure Canberrans have more access to eating disorder care, no matter their level of need.”
The ACT Government has committed $2.2 million under the 2019-20 Budget to deliver more eating disorder services including the Territory-wide model of care which will be finalised this year and deliver more accessible pathways for Canberrans to transition between care.
Work is also underway on the community-based Early Intervention Service for Eating Disorders which will focus on supporting healthy behaviours and care for people in the early stage of their eating disorder. The program is anticipated to launch in 2022/23.
The Eating Disorders Clinical Hub launched in January this year to improve coordination of resources, services, and expertise across the ACT for people experiencing or impacted by eating disorders. The Clinical Hub ensures better access to care by connecting people with services that best support their individual needs and circumstances.
The residential eating disorder facility design will be developed in consultation with the health sector, people with eating disorders, their families, carers and the local community to ensure the needs of those who will be engaging with the service are appropriately supported.
Canberrans and key stakeholders will be kept informed about the project as the design process develops. Following completion of the proof-of-concept work, construction would be expected to start towards the end of 2022 and completed in late 2023.
The Commonwealth Government has agreed to fund $13.5 million over three years starting in 2021/22 for the development of the residential treatment centre.
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