findingrecords.dhhs.vic.gov.au

South West Area Mental Health Service (1983–96)

Warning about distressing information

This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience.

Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria.

If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.

Patient information

PLEASE NOTE: Patients could be admitted to a Receiving House for short-term treatment and care, but were not permitted to remain longer than two months.
Patients still needing treatment after two months could be sent to a Psychiatric Hospital, in the same institution/complex or another.
Hence, there could be more than one set of records for any one person. Please check each location for former patient records.

List of records held by the department

For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s, and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.

Patient Case Histories (c.1983–c.86)

File; Unappraised

Content: Case histories of patients treated at the South West Area Mental Health Services as psychiatric out-patients. These records give details of their treatment and progress at the clinic. The files contain the following information and documents:

  • personal details
  • case notes
  • psychiatric history
  • medication prescribed
  • legal documents such as community treatment order forms

These files are arranged in the patient UR number order.

Reviewed 01 September 2016