Home Group Services O'Brien Building Nears Completion

Date: 11 Feb 2010

As the new state-of-the-art mental health facility at St Vincent’s Hospital nears completion, mental health, drug and alcohol and community health services prepare for the move to the O’Brien Centre. A significant development for the Darlinghurst Campus, the centre will facilitate the delivery of an integrated service model and will be fully functional by late April.
 

“Both strategically and in line with our mission and values, this is one of the most significant developments for the Campus in our recent history,” explained Jonathan Anderson, Executive Director, St Vincent’s Hospital.
 

Purpose built and designed, the centre offers improved accommodation for many services, including the inpatient psychiatric ward, ambulatory community mental health services, Rankin Court, Gorman House, anxiety disorders and the primary care team.

Co-location of alcohol and drug, community health and mental health affords the opportunity for an integrated model of care between these services as well as greater collaboration with other hospitals and broader community services. This close connectivity is embodied by corridor links to levels 3-5 of the Xavier Building.
 

As an integrated model of care, the Centre will facilitate improved interventions for at-risk individuals and groups, such as homeless persons. Emphasis will be placed on quality/outcome improvements as well as teaching and research. The sharing of skills, resources, knowledge and priorities will result in better access to services tailored to the individuals’ needs, thus improved outcomes and wellbeing.

From 8am until 5.30pm the building will house a customer service centre for enquires and referrals from those wishing to access the services. Existing call-centre services including Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) and Quitline will also operate from the Centre.

Inline with increasing demand, the centre heralds a new era in the delivery of mental health, drug and alcohol and community health services.

An official opening ceremony is scheduled for May.