Leaders in mental health are hopeful the release of the infant, child and adolescent mental health report will be a step forward in producing extra support for the Peel region.
The WA government released the report on March 15, saying it would "overhaul" the state's system.
The report has 32 recommendations which health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the government would commit to implementing.
The recommendations include developing more intensive community-based treatments for children in crisis, better information sharing between departments and services, increasing Aboriginal mental health workers, and improving access to regional services.
Mandurah Psychological Services psychologist Amy Henderson said investing in mental health services and improving the involvement of all stakeholders was of particular importance.
"Parents, carers and the child's community, as well as the child, know their mental health the best and are experts on that child's psychological state - when parents and carers are crying out for help, the system has to listen," she said.
"Perhaps as important is having a system not bursting at the seams - this speaks to rest of the actions in the report, particularly the investment and support of mental health services so that they are equipped to handle the surge of issues we are seeing in our youth.
"Change is happening, but it is too slow."
As part of the recommendations, the report wants the current Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service to be "re-imagined" to include infants and have "hubs" located in regional centres which can link to existing and new clinics.
"They [hubs] need to become the 'engine-room'...connecting and supporting local services that support children, families and carers through new consultation liaison and shared care functions," the report states.
The report recognised the Peel Health Hub as a successful example of integration and collaboration.
GP Down South chief executive Amanda Poller said she was proud of the success of the Peel Health Hub.
"This report provides an opportunity to publicise how this model can be a solution to a number of its recommendations," she said.
"The public system can't operate in isolation, it needs to integrate a whole health system."
This report comes as GP Down South and Allambee are seeking $19.9 million to construct a health services building connected to the existing Peel Health Hub.
Peel Health Hub 2.0 will increase and broaden the range of health services provided.
GP Down South manager Eleanor Britton said the report highlighted the Peel Health Hub's ability to achieve change.
"Our Peel Health Hub 2.0 expansion plans address some of the key areas highlighted in the report particularly around investment in a community based eating disorder service in order to provide specialised early intervention services," she said.
"This will keep sufferers out of the more acute and expensive hospital settings that are highlighted as being overwhelmed in this report.
"We can prevent many of these presentations and admissions with early intervention, holistic wrap around services such as what we are proposing for the Peel Health Hub.
"We now need help to provide a regional service to support these very complex and totally underserviced clients."
Mandurah MP David Templeman said he had written to the health minister in support of the expansion of Peel Health Hub services.
"I am very pleased to see that Peel Health Hub has actually been featured in the report as a case study of success - it is something we should be very proud of in the Peel region," he said.
"Now it is about looking at the key recommendations that will impact the needs in the Peel region and the community has my assurance that I will do everything possible to ensure that the Peel Health Hub and other mental health services that positively impact on the needs of young people are prioritised."
This article was originally published in the Mandurah Mail.
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