The State’s Chief Psychiatrist has developed Guidelines for the Sexual Safety of Consumers of Mental Health Services in Western Australia.
The Guidelines provide practical strategies to improve sexual safety in mental health services and are aimed at ensuring that all people — consumers, their families, visitors and staff — are sexually safe when using the State’s mental health services.
Launching the Guidelines, Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health, Alanna Clohesy (pictured) said sexual safety referred to being and feeling psychologically and physically safe.
“This includes being free of, and feeling safe from, behaviour of a sexual nature that is unwanted, or makes another person feel uncomfortable, afraid or unsafe,” Ms Clohesy said.
“The Guidelines are part of a commitment to providing person-centred, recovery-focused and trauma-informed care, through developing best practice guidelines for mental health services.”
She said they were developed through wide consultation with consumers, carers, community members and clinicians.
“While they apply to mental health services under the Chief Psychiatrist’s remit, all services in Western Australia who provide therapy or support for individuals with mental illness are strongly encouraged to use the Guidelines to improve sexual safety within their agency,” Ms Clohesy said.
The 110-page Guidelines are available on the Chief Psychiatrist’s website at this PS News link.
