Grampians Health | Mental Health - Ballarat Central, Victoria

Jason R.

Some Nurses are helpful some are just useless and some I don't no how the hell they got a job, some help and some just don't care and don't expect to get any sleep with all the noises and constant door slamming but basically, most nurses seem like they are not trained to deal with Mental Health.

Colin G. W.

I know that time on a ward is not supposed to be fun but this was a nightmare. Including here (2017-ish), I've been in 4 public facilities & this was by far the worst, BY FAR.
Myself & another guy were transported up there from Melbourne as they were the closest beds available @ the time. I saw a psychologist once, for less than 30 min during my entire week there. The head nurse was one of the least compassionate women I've ever met, a real nasty piece of work. Her lack of empathy was startling & her compassion fatigue was more like compassion deficit.
One night myself & the guy I traveled up there with had to intervene when a fellow "inmate" attempted to strange himself with a shoelace after being bullied & put down by a nurse (for no real reason) in front of everyone.
Despite the impact this had on the two of us (yes, obviously it affected the shoelace guy worse but I'm giving my account), both there after our own suicide attempts, no sleeping medication was issued, despite being repeatedly asked for into the wee hours of the morning. I was basically forced to sit up all night replaying in my head the events of that evening. The next day neither of us Melbourne boys were asked if we were ok, did we want to talk about it, nothing.
When I got discharged later that day I was told where the bus stop to get me to the V-line station was & I sent on my way. The same thing happened to the other Melbourne guy & being worse off than I was he ended up stranded in Ballarat a night before I had to drive up there & get him.
An absolute disgrace, made worse by the fact that multiple patients told me that I was the only one that had really listened to them since they got there (I was studying counselling @ the time and put it to good use, since no-one getting paid to be there was interested in doing anything but sit in their fishbowl & hand out psych meds to keep people docile). Shame on all of you who chose to look after the vulnerable & decided that treating us like dirt was just as good.
To that nurse, thank you, you lit a fire in my belly that has resulted in me being more focused than ever to support the vulnerable, advocate for those without a voice & use my experiences to guide my fellow travellers.

And Paul Arbur is spot on, nurses would often say things to wind up the patients, get them to snap & then hand out their punishment.

Claire

Rudest staff especially mental health triage. They judge you for being mentally ill and don't help or care at all.

Jason H.

2016 - Torture, abuse, coercive control. If you weren't mentally unwell going there, you certainly would be once you left. I knew something was wrong and tried to escape, another young guy scaled the wall. A breeding ground for local 'Mafia' wannabes (just more mental illness patients) cruising the halls, enjoying a free feed. Local Communist soldier wannabes posing as health staff. Just the most awful, vicious place I have ever seen. Terrifying.

Elizabeth S.

My son was treated at Grampians mental health service and they provided the service he needed at the time, a clinical / medical approach to support the trauma he was experiencing with his mental health episode. They then provided a mental health worker to support him over the next few months to get back on his feet, which really supported his return to wellness.

paul A.

I would give minus if I could Stay very clear of this place there is a certain Indian nurse there that will say things to fire you up no one believed me until I was on the phone through my AirPod once he realised and put the phone to my partner his whole meaner changed but once my partner explained she heard everything that was said he then turned on her. Come later in the night minding my own business colouring in when I had a female nurse storm up and say delete that photo I was in shock I was like what pic open your phone now I showed her no picture nothing in delete I had to ask for an apology and you could tell she didn’t mean it all. Next thing I had enough by then and was going to go home for this nurse to make up a false allegation that was never said and I am put in iso only after the security thought they would give me a good touch up I was filming they kept yelling grab the phone then proceed to delete the video stay away if you any mental health problems I will be taking this matter further

Madison B.

The ART team genuinely care about your wellbeing but the senior nurse at Ballarat PARC named Marcy hung up on me when I was distressed and clearly in danger of hurting myself, just because I swore at her. She didn’t follow it up with anyone else there and didn’t get another nurse to call to make sure I was safe. She knew I was home alone and that I struggle with self harm/su1cidal tendencies when distressed. Complete and utter medical malpractice with not a shred of empathy. I could’ve died. I was not in a good head space and not in control of my emotions and she knows this. This is part of her training. She is lucky I had the strength to call a clinician from the ART team at BHS and tell them I felt unsafe, otherwise who knows what could’ve happened.
I had another PARC nurse call me nearly an hour later and she showed me empathy and validated my emotions as most of the PARC staff do, except Marcy. Marcy is the reason I fled PARC days before my discharge date. I did not feel safe around her, she did not respect my boundaries. I asked her to speak to another staff member about my problems because I don’t feel uncomfortable with her and I knew it wouldn’t be productive but she has refused to do so. I did not want to spend another second in that building with that awful woman.
Hanging up on someone who is clearly distressed and in danger of hurting themselves is unacceptable and dangerous.

Forgotten M.

Traumatising. Will imprison you over a sore thumb if they can. Their level of understanding is very limited if existent at all. They place drugs first over therapies, chemicals is their answer for everything. Not much improvement in 35yrs. 80% of staff seem to be uncaring robots, who display very little interest in their patients.