A Wellington mental health patient with serious issues says the town has barely any mental health services: a mental health worker four out of five days and a psychologist three days a month.
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He said many patients are at risk of slipping through cracks in the system with an estimated 120 people on the mental health worker's list in Wellington, claiming it forced many to seek help elsewhere which was difficult in an isolated area.
Currently the local hospital has a mental health worker employed four days a week and a visiting psychologist three out of four Wednesdays a month, but mental health consumer and advocate Peter Fotakis said it was not enough and that both state and federal governments weren't treating the issue seriously.
"They keep on using the excuses they don't have the funding or the resources," he said.
"They can spend money on fireworks or roads in Sydney, but they have got no money left over for rural areas.
"I have known consumers who have been released from care too early because of pressure from bed shortages in state psychiatric hospitals, who then in a short time suicide or self-harm.
"It is something I personally witnessed while working in mental health crisis care accommodation facilities in WA over about eight years, but I'm led to believe this is a problem across all states and territories because of inadequate mental health resourcing.
Mr Fotakis said he knew of consumers who had been released from care too early.
"They have suddenly taken off hundreds, thousands of miles from their home, they go interstate and sometimes even overseas without family or friends knowing where they are, some never to return," he said.
Wellington Health Service manager Narelle Ford said that in addition to the mental health workers, the hospital also provided around the clock access to a mental health professional in Dubbo via teleconference, so that residents had access at any time to help when it was needed, whether it was through the hospital or they chose to call the 1800 number (1800 011511).
But Mr Fotakis said it was not enough for the number of people who needed help in a Local Government Area of 8000.
He also said that for many, speaking via teleconference was extremely difficult when they were in a time of crisis.