MENTAL health services for young Tasmanians are the most poorly resourced in the country, an inquest into six youth suicides has heard. Coroner Olivia McTaggart was yesterday told more than 50 young people had been frozen out since December as the sector struggled to keep up with demand. Ms McTaggart is examining self-harm deaths of six young Tasmanians and investigating ways to prevent other youth suicides. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services psychiatrist Fiona Wagg said resource shortfalls were straining an already overstretched sector. Dr Wagg said that staff numbers were less than a third of appropriate levels, with just over 10 clinicians caring for all children from conception until the age of 18. The inquest heard recently imposed budget savings measures were making a dire situation worse. "Our capacity to provide a coherent response is limited by the fact we have a very small number of staff," Dr Wagg said. "We're well aware we're not meeting the level of need that is out there." Dr Wagg said intervention in early childhood of at-risk youths was the most clinically effective and cost-efficient way to positively affect their lives. The inquest heard that much more could be done in this area if the sector was better resourced. Dr Wagg said youth outreach and community-based programs were also desperately needed but extremely limited. "One of the difficulties we have is there are not a lot of options for young people with child and mental health problems," she said. Dr Wagg said outreach initiatives could have made a difference to the young people at the centre of the inquest. Senior health bureaucrat Tony Kemp said Tasmania's Child Protection Services also faced ever-increasing demand. Mr Kemp said the authority received more than 12,800 notifications in the past financial year - a 5 per cent annual increase. "The demand far outstrips our capacity to meet it," Mr Kemp said. "That has been an upward trend in Tasmania, as it has in all jurisdictions, since the mid-1990s. "There's nothing to indicate that won't be the case for a good number of years to come." The Tasmanian government yesterday denied cutting the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services budget. The inquest continues today.
MENTAL health services for young Tasmanians are the most poorly resourced in the country, an inquest into six youth suicides has heard.
Coroner Olivia McTaggart was yesterday told more than 50 young people had been frozen out since December as the sector struggled to keep up with demand.
Ms McTaggart is examining self-harm deaths of six young Tasmanians and investigating ways to prevent other youth suicides.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services psychiatrist Fiona Wagg said resource shortfalls were straining an already overstretched sector.
Dr Wagg said that staff numbers were less than a third of appropriate levels, with just over 10 clinicians caring for all children from conception until the age of 18.
The inquest heard recently imposed budget savings measures were making a dire situation worse.
"Our capacity to provide a coherent response is limited by the fact we have a very small number of staff," Dr Wagg said.
"We're well aware we're not meeting the level of need that is out there."
Dr Wagg said intervention in early childhood of at-risk youths was the most clinically effective and cost-efficient way to positively affect their lives.
The inquest heard that much more could be done in this area if the sector was better resourced.
Dr Wagg said youth outreach and community-based programs were also desperately needed but extremely limited.
"One of the difficulties we have is there are not a lot of options for young people with child and mental health problems," she said.
Dr Wagg said outreach initiatives could have made a difference to the young people at the centre of the inquest.
Senior health bureaucrat Tony Kemp said Tasmania's Child Protection Services also faced ever-increasing demand.
Mr Kemp said the authority received more than 12,800 notifications in the past financial year - a 5 per cent annual increase.
"The demand far outstrips our capacity to meet it," Mr Kemp said.
"That has been an upward trend in Tasmania, as it has in all jurisdictions, since the mid-1990s.
"There's nothing to indicate that won't be the case for a good number of years to come."
The Tasmanian government yesterday denied cutting the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services budget.
The inquest continues today.
Lifeline: 131 114; Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800; www.kidshelp.com.au; Suicide callback service: 1300 659 467, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
