Consumers and community
A focus on mental health
Taking mental health care to the heart of a community
Armadale Community Mental Health Services (ACMHS) this year moved to a new central hub, taking mental health care to the heart of the local community.
ACMHS previously operated from 2 long-standing locations – the Mead Centre on the grounds of Armadale Health Service (AHS) and Eudoria Street Clinic in Gosnells.
It is now housed in the undercroft of the Armadale Central Shopping Centre on Orchard Avenue, where it continues to provide services.
The new facility has been named Orchard Avenue Centre. An appropriate Aboriginal name is being developed by the Armadale Kalamunda Group (AKG) Aboriginal Health Team.
The move in April 2024 was part of an overall strategy by AHS and Kalamunda Hospital (KH) to ensure access to mental health care is as easy for people as possible, and was the culmination of 2 years’ planning.
ACMHS provides triage, assessment and medium to long term recovery-focused treatment and support for adults and older adults living in the AKG catchment area.
These include the Assessment Treatment Team, Older Adult Community Mental Health Service, Clinical Treatment Team and Early Episode Psychosis Team.
There was an extensive refit of the new premises before the move, including new cabinetry, flooring and a secure medical records storage area.
People accessing this service were notified of the move in advance. To raise further awareness, posters were displayed in clinics, flyers were distributed with appointment letters and staff relayed information verbally.
Feedback has included that the new location is easier to get to and the building feels safe, modern and welcoming.
How we celebrated WA Mental Health Week
With a theme of ‘Mind, Body, Environment’, WA Mental Health Week from 7 to 14 October 2023 was marked with a calendar of events across our health service. These included barbeque lunches, a movie night, mindfulness sessions, painting activities and a breakfast.