The Territory’s first residential eating disorder facility is to provide a home-like environment and specialised support, with ACT Health completing its draft designs.
Unveiling the designs, Minister for Mental Health, Emma Davidson said the ACT Residential Eating Disorder Facility was part of a broader stepped model of care for eating disorders across the Territory.
“The Centre will provide a home-like environment with specialised support for people with eating disorders, their families, and carers on their recovery journey,” Ms Davidson said.
“Canberrans with eating disorders need access to services which are appropriate for their stage in the recovery journey, so they can develop healthy relationships with food and exercise to live well in their community,” she said.
“Government is focused on the design and implementation of eating disorder services through a stepped care model, so that everyone can access the right support at the right time,” she said.”
Ms Davidson said the Centre had a preferred site in Coombs and would provide a more intensive, residential service for people who may sit between low-level community care and acute clinical care.
She said ACT Health officials visited the only other operational residential eating disorder facility in Australia in late July to draw from the facility’s learnings on how to best support people on their recovery journey and commence the next stage of more detailed designs.
“The Preliminary Sketch Plan Phase is underway which will be used as part of the development application process, which is due to be submitted in late 2022, at which stage ACT Health will undertake further consultation,” the Minster said.
Ms Davidson said the ACT’s facility was on track to be completed in 2023/24.
The ACT Residential Eating Disorder Facility draft designs can be accessed at this PS News link.
