Health Services > Services by Hospital and Facility > Townsville Health Service District

Secure Mental Health Unit

Overview

Phone: 61 + 7 4796 3880 FAX: 61 + 7 4796 3881

Secure Mental Health Facility

The Secure Mental Health Unit is a Northern Zone Tertiary mental health service located on the Townsville Hospital site at Douglas. The philosophy of the service is to provide effective mental health care in a safe and secure environment achieving a balance between community expectation of safety and the consumers' right to the least restrictive treatment option. All patients admitted to the unit must be under the Mental Health Act. Although the unit accepts patients on Forensic Orders it is not a specialist Forensic Unit.

The Secure service has a model of service delivery that promotes a vision of recovery with a rehabilitation program supporting an improved quality of life, achievement of individual optimal functioning and, where possible and appropriate, community re-integration with ongoing treatment and support by District mental health services.

The Secure Mental Health Inpatient Unit is comprised of two discrete designated units. Both units provide assessment and treatment for adults with a mental health illness who pose a significant risk of harm to self or others and whose needs cannot be met in a less secure setting. Illness symptomotalogy may be characterised by persistent violent or assaultive behaviours towards themselves or others.

The Medium Secure Unit has accommodation for 21 patients and provides assessment, treatment and rehabilitation for patients referred by District mental health services or other Zonal Tertiary Mental Health Units – Rehabilitation & Extended Treatment, Acquired Brain Injury, Psychogeriatric. The multidisciplinary team works closely with District mental health services/case manager to achieve community re-integration.
The High Secure Unit has accommodation for 10 patients. This would include patients charged with serious offences, prisoners or District mental health patients with unmanageable absconding and/or assaultive behaviours. Referrals come from prisons, courts, Community Forensic Consultation Liaison Service, District Services or the medium secure unit. Patients requiring extended treatment in a high secure setting will be referred to The Park in Brisbane.

The Secure Mental Health Unit works closely with District Mental Health Services, other Zonal Tertiary Mental Health Units, the Community Forensic Consultation Liaison Team, Indigenous Mental Health Services, workers and communities, non-government organisations, DSQ, Corrective Services, CAG and families.

Referral Procedure

The admission criteria and referral information can be obtained by contacting the Service Coordinator or Clinical Nurse Consultant at the Secure Mental Health Unit.

Our Health Team

Psychiatrists
Nurses (Mental Health Nurses)
Medical Officers
Psychologists
Social Workers
Occupational Therapist
Recreation Officer
Rehabilitation Assistants
Operational Support Officers
Indigenous Mental Health Workers
Service Coordinator
Safety Response Officers
Administration Officers

Contact Details

Location	The Secure Mental Health Unit, The Townsville Hospital 100 Angus Smith Drive Douglas QLD 4814
Postal Address	IMB 49, PO Box 670 Townsville QLD 4810
Phone	+61 7 4796 3880
Facsimile	+61 7 4796 3881

Last Updated: 27 February 2006
Last Reviewed: 27 February 2006