Final hospital tour

A GROUP of 40 mental health professionals embarked on the last ever tour of the Kenmore Hospital museum last week, with the relics from the former Kenmore psychiatric hospital prompting reflection on the future of mental health care in Goulburn.

While it was fitting that the last group to tour the once-great hospital consisted of some dedicated local health professionals, it was also a sad moment for many, as they recalled the rich history of Kenmore Hospital.

Mental Health Professional Network Coordinator Jeff Wilson- who organised the networking opportunity- bade farewell to the hospital where he received his nursing training back in the early eighties.

“There were some good feelings, in that (it showed) some people can be treated quite successfully in the community, but also a lot of sadness, because it was a community out there on its own,” Mr Wilson said.

“The staff out there had a great camaraderie between them, and now that they’ve been split up, you now sort of have (mental health) services in small pockets around the area, and it’s no longer all grouped together.”

“It’s also sad that it’s such a large facility out there just sitting there doing nothing.”

The positive side of Wednesday night’s tour was that it was another successful meeting of the Mental Health Professional Network, which aims to promote communication and cooperation between local mental health services.

Social workers, psychologists, GPs, mental health nurses and community service students from the local TAFE all came together to discuss mental health care in the region. Mr Wilson said it was the most successful meeting of the network so far.

“That particular meeting with 40 staff was the largest rural Mental Health Professional Network meeting in New South Wales. And the Goulburn network has experienced the largest growth out of all the networks, from four members at our first meetings to a total of nearly 90 members now,” he said.

“We’re a (federal) government-funded group that was started to improve networking between mental health professionals, and it’s been going for about two years. It’s all about enhancing mental health services in the community, and clarifying the pathways between the different services.

“It was very successful and everybody really enjoyed it.” Local mental health workers in the community who would like to join the Mental Health Professional Network are invited to contact Jeff Wilson on 4823 6861.