Australian Capital Territory Consolidated Acts

MENTAL HEALTH (TREATMENT AND CARE) ACT 1994 - SECT 122

    (1)     An official visitor—

        (a)     shall visit and inspect mental health facilities; and

        (b)     shall inquire into—

              (i)     the adequacy of services for the assessment and treatment of persons with mental dysfunction or a mental illness; and

              (ii)     the appropriateness and standard of facilities for the recreation, occupation, education, training and rehabilitation of persons receiving treatment or care for mental dysfunction or a mental illness; and

              (iii)     the extent to which people receiving treatment or care for mental dysfunction or a mental illness are being provided the best possible treatment or care appropriate to their needs in the least possible restrictive environment and least possible intrusive manner consistent with the effective giving of that treatment or care; and

              (iv)     any contravention of this Act; and

              (v)     any other matter that an official visitor considers appropriate having regard to the objectives in sections 7 and 8; and

              (vi)     any complaint made to an official visitor by a person receiving treatment or care for mental dysfunction or a mental illness; and

        (c)     has such other functions as are conferred on the official visitor by this or another Act.

    (2)     An official visitor—

        (a)     may, with or without prior notice given to a responsible person for a mental health facility (within the meaning of part 6), visit the mental health facility at such times and for such periods as the visitor thinks fit; and

        (b)     shall visit a mental health facility at least once every 3 months.

    (3)     The Minister may, in writing, direct an official visitor to visit a mental health facility at such times as the Minister directs.