Victorian Minister for Mental Health Mary Wooldridge, together with Minister for Veterans' Affairs Hugh Delahunty, have officially opened the Coral-Balmoral Building, the new home of Austin Health's Psychological Trauma Recovery Service at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.

 

Ms Wooldridge said the new $15.5 million facility has been purpose-built for the provision of highly specialised trauma-related mental health services, and incorporated a 20-bed inpatient Veterans' Psychiatry Unit.

 

"This new facility specialises in the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and incorporates Victoria's Psychological Trauma Recovery Service (PTRS), which is nationally recognised as a treatment and research centre of excellence in the area of trauma-related mental health," Ms Wooldridge said.

 

The $15.5 million facility at Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital features:

  • 20-bed inpatient service;
  • hospital-based outpatient services;
  • day centre programs;
  • community-based services;
  • outreach-based services including tele-psychiatry & domiciliary services; and
  • a centre of excellence for teaching, training and research.

 

"The PTRS played an important role in the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires and the skills and expertise available were used to provide assistance and support in Queensland after devastating floods," Ms Wooldridge said.

 

"This facility provides services that form an important part of the wider mental health system with a key role in teaching, training and research and it is an example of the world-class specialist mental health services provided in Victoria.

 

"Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital and the Veterans' Psychiatry service supports veterans and other trauma survivors, such as those affected by the Bali bombing, and patients with anxiety, stress and major mood disorders.

 

"The veteran inpatient unit will treat older veterans and those who have fought in recent war-zones to assist with post-trauma related illnesses, and will incorporate female-only facilities to address the growing number of women in the armed forces," Ms Wooldridge said.

 

The Coral-Balmoral building brings the Veterans' Psychiatry Unit and the services of Post-Trauma Victoria together under one roof in a purpose-built facility, integrating care across inpatients, outpatients and the community setting.

 

The Veterans' Psychiatry Unit, which is part of the Psychological Trauma Recovery Service, was established in 1941 as one of Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital's inaugural services.

 

"The new facility provides services where victims of trauma and their families and friends can get the support they need whilst sharing their experiences, re-establishing networks, and reinvigorating their health and their lives," Mr Delahunty said.