Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing
In just over a week and a half of operation, Tasmania’s new Police, Ambulance, and Clinician Early Response (PACER) team is already providing positive outcomes for people in mental health distress.
PACER is an innovative new initiative, delivered initially in the South for a two-year trial, as part of our Government’s $26 million new investment in mental health services announced in the 2021 Budget.
The first of its kind in Tasmania, PACER is made up of Mental Health Clinicians, Police Officers, and Paramedics, and aims to improve access to timely, appropriate, and evidence-based mental health care in the community as well as to significantly reduce demand on Police and Ambulance services.
In its first week since commencing on 24 January 2022, PACER responded to call-outs to 27 people with a number of conditions ranging from suicidal ideation, psychosis, depression, anxiety and confusion/incoherence. Several welfare checks were also conducted.
The majority, 63 per cent, of these people were supported to remain in the community.
Fifteen per cent were voluntarily transported to hospital for physical health concerns, and another 15 per cent were voluntarily transported to hospital for mental health concerns.
The PACER team also handled a number of phone consultations with family members and other police or ambulance units.
Initially, 15.6 FTE staff have been recruited including six police officers, six paramedics, and 3.6 mental health clinicians.
The establishment of our new PACER team follows the successful pilot in the ACT which saw 90 per cent of people seen by the PACER team able to stay in the community with only 12 per cent of people requiring transport to the Emergency Department – a significant decrease from 56 per cent previously.
It is our hope that we achieve similar results here in Tasmania.
The pilot will be evaluated during its two-year trial period and that will determine the success of the program.
If we continue to see positive results such as those seen in the first week of operation, the Tasmanian Government will consider additional funding to support an ongoing Southern service, and we would consider how the program could be rolled out to other regions across Tasmania.
I would like to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements being made by our team and I look forward to following the progress of PACER in the coming months as we work to improve access to the right mental health care for Tasmanians, at the right place and at the right time.
Support is available through the Mental Health Services Helpline on 1800 332 388, Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, and Triple Zero in an emergency.
