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Article: CDHB acts slowly on mentally disabled
- Article from:
- The Press
- Article date:
- December 24, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2005 The Press. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Intellectually disabled people in Christchurch face a "horrendous"
five-month wait to get help for mental health problems such as
depression.
Canterbury's intellectual disability community team of
pyschologists and psychiatrists offers mental health support to those
with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. But it has
emerged that 78 people have been waiting on average 21 weeks to get
help from the community team.
"It's just horrendous," said Canterbury District Health Board
(CDHB) deputy chairwoman Olive Webb. "By the time help is asked,
there is probably a horrendous situation happening, and five months
is not acceptable."
Help would be sought only when someone was "out ...