What the service is

The Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit is a 6 bed specialist acute mental health inpatient unit. It is a statewide resource located within the grounds of Shellharbour Hospital.

What we do

The unit provides a safe, developmentally appropriate and therapeutic environment, allowing comprehensive diagnostic assessments, therapeutic programs and management of children and adolescents aged between 12 to 17 years (inclusive), with serious mental health presentations.

The unit operates 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. The team includes: nursing staff, psychiatrists, an occupational therapist, a clinical psychologist, a social worker, and staff from the Department of Education and Training who provide ongoing education in the form of a learning centre.

What to expect

Access to a specialist mental health service, therapeutic groups and activities, and access to the education program. Groups include, but are not limited to: life skills, mindfulness, compassion focused groups, problem solving, healthy relationships, family interventions, cooking groups, and pet therapy.

Who should access this service

Children and adolescents aged between 12  to 17 years, with serious mental health issues.

How to access this service

Referrals to the Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient service are made by child, adolescent and youth mental health community teams statewide, following a formal and comprehensive mental health assessment.

Referrals to the Mental Health Service are by calling:

Mental Health Line is a 24-hour telephone access service.

If it is an emergency call: 000

What to bring / what will be required

A list of suggested items to bring to the unit will be provided to each consumer prior to admission in the form of a unit brochure.