Co-located Peel Community Mental Health Service and Kara Maar Community Eating Disorder Service ready to open
The Black Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service in Perth’s south is ready to open its doors, but there is still no dedicated residential eating disorder clinic in WA.
In 2019, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt pledged $4 million for WA to build a dedicated residential eating disorder treatment center to stop the revolving door of hospital admissions.
While other States continue to move forward with residential clinics, WA has dragged its feet and has been given until mid-2025 by the Federal Government to open the center at the Peel Health Campus in Mandurah.
But on Saturday, Health Minister Meredith Hammat and Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey toured the newly equipped Black Maar rather than maintaining the requested inpatient clinic.
While Black Maar does not have inpatient beds, the service will provide assessment, treatment and physical health monitoring for people aged 16 and over who are experiencing or showing symptoms of an eating disorder.
The service offers multidisciplinary outpatient care, nutrition and meal support, and works collaboratively with patients, families and caregivers to support safe, sustained recovery.
On Saturday, Ms. Hammat reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the residential clinic.
“So last year’s budget included $5 million in planning money for a residential eating disorders clinic, and I was informed that that work was ongoing,” she said.
“The Mental Health Commission is leading this work, consulting with stakeholders, and we will continue to do the work to plan a facility that will provide residential treatment.”
Peel Community Mental Health Clinic has moved from its Peel Health Campus location in Mandurah to Montserrat Drive premises with Black Maar.
There is a door for Black Maar at the front of the building and a door for the Peel Community Mental Health Clinic at the back.
With 20 to 25 mental health referrals made every day in WA, the Peel Community Mental Health Clinic will ease some of the pressure on hospital services.
The relocation of mental health services from the Peel Health Campus to the Black Maar building has made room for the hospital to add more beds.
Peel program manager Jan Battley said they receive between 20 and 25 mental health referrals each day.
“Just as a facility like this allows us to work in the community and allows us to keep people out of the emergency room, it also allows us to keep people out of inpatient units,” Ms. Battley added.
“We can accommodate approximately 55 staff, from doctors to nurses, social workers, operating room attendants and lived experience staff.”
But Ms Battley said the service was not yet fully staffed.
“It’s really hard to attract staff in the Peel region, we’ve had that for a long time. So we have some positions that we can’t fill,” Ms. Battley said.
WA Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey added that the government remains committed to expanding health service capacity across WA.
“We want to make sure people can get the help they need in a coordinated and supportive space, which is what this clinic will provide for people living in and around Mandurah and Peel,” Mr Carey said.
“Importantly, this project forms part of our government’s broader commitment to deliver the healthcare infrastructure our society needs, both now and in the future.”
