Western Australia Launches New Outpatient Eating Disorder Service Amid Residential Clinic Planning
Western Australia has recently seen the commencement of operations for the Kara Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service, a new outpatient facility in the Peel region. Concurrently, the state government continues the planning phase for a dedicated residential eating disorder clinic, a facility that Western Australia currently lacks despite federal funding allocated in 2019.
Kara Maar: New Outpatient Service Commences Operations
The Kara Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service, located south of Perth, is prepared to commence operations. This new community clinic is designed to function outside the hospital system, aiming to provide a safe and comfortable environment and reduce the need for emergency department visits and inpatient admissions. Health Minister Meredith Hammat and Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey visited the newly established service.
Kara Maar will offer assessment, treatment, and physical health monitoring for individuals aged 16 and above experiencing eating disorders. Its services include multidisciplinary outpatient care, nutritional support, and collaborative support for recovery. The facility does not include inpatient beds.
The Kara Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service aims to provide a safe and comfortable environment outside the hospital system, reducing the need for emergency department visits and inpatient admissions for individuals aged 16 and above.
Residential Clinic: A Long-Awaited Facility
Despite federal funding allocated in 2019, Western Australia currently lacks a dedicated residential eating disorder clinic. The state government continues its planning phase for such a facility.
Federal Funding and State Government Response
In 2019, then-Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced $4 million in federal funding for a residential eating disorder treatment center in Western Australia. This was part of a national initiative for six such clinics, with the stated aim of reducing recurrent hospital admissions.
By 2023, Western Australia was noted as the only state that had not initiated planning or construction for such a facility. The former WA Health Minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson, stated that the allocated federal funding was insufficient and that the state government had not been consulted on its distribution. The federal funding was subsequently redirected to expand community-based eating disorder services in the Peel region.
The Federal Government has since set a mid-2025 deadline for Western Australia to open a center at Peel Health Campus in Mandurah.
WA Health Minister Meredith Hammat has confirmed that the state budget from the previous year included $5 million specifically for the planning of a dedicated residential eating disorder facility, aligning with an earlier election promise. The Mental Health Commission is overseeing this planning process in consultation with stakeholders. A specific timeframe for the facility's completion has not yet been provided. Minister John Carey affirmed the government's dedication to expanding WA's health services, emphasizing coordinated community support.
"By 2023, Western Australia was noted as the only state that had not initiated planning or construction for a residential eating disorder facility, despite federal funding allocated in 2019."
Patient Advocacy Highlights Urgent Need
The absence of a dedicated residential clinic in Western Australia has drawn attention from families and advocates. Jordynn Brown, 19, experienced multiple hospital admissions and relapses for her eating disorder between the ages of 13 and 17. She reported that hospital treatment focused on physical stabilization but offered limited mental health support, which she found challenging for coping with body changes upon returning home.
Consequently, Jordynn and her mother, Deanne De-Meer Brown, decided to send her to a residential eating disorder clinic in Queensland last year. The family funded approximately three months of comprehensive care, which they identified as essential for sustained recovery.
Jordynn Brown reported that hospital treatment "focused on physical stabilization but offered limited mental health support, which she found challenging for coping with body changes upon returning home."
Broader Community Health Impacts
In a related development, the Peel Community Mental Health Clinic has relocated from Peel Health Campus to co-locate with the Kara Maar Specialist Community Eating Disorder Service. This move aims to alleviate pressure on hospital services and has created additional bed capacity at Peel Health Campus. Jan Battley, Peel program manager, noted that the clinic typically receives 20-25 mental health referrals daily and assists in keeping individuals out of emergency departments and inpatient units. She also mentioned ongoing challenges in attracting staff to the Peel area.
Opposition health spokesperson Libby Mettam has criticized the delays in establishing a residential eating disorder clinic in the state.