Chief Psychiatrist’s Standard for the Sexual Safety of Consumers of Mental Health Services in Western Australia

Publication history

Publication summary

The Chief Psychiatrist is designated with the responsibility of overseeing the treatment and care provided in specified mental health services under s. 515 Mental Health Act 2014 (MHA 2014). S. 547 MHA 2014 specifies the development of standards and guidelines by the Chief Psychiatrist.

The Chief Psychiatrist’s Standard on the Sexual Safety of Consumers in Mental Health Services is a statutory standard under the MHA 2014; therefore, compliance is mandatory, and it is essential that staff are aware of their statutory responsibilities. Mental health services will be expected to take active steps to ensure, and can demonstrate, that they are meeting this Standard.

The development of this Standard was undertaken in liaison with the broad range of clinicians, people with lived experience and key specialist agencies that guided the development of the Guidelines. The Standard aligns with the existing Guidelines, and therefore should be fully consistent with the approach services and staff are currently taking.