Approved facilities

Approved assessment centres

• An approved assessment centre is a premises approved by the Minister under section 140 of the Act.
• The Minister may only approve a premises if satisfied that it is properly built, equipped and staffed to assess involuntary patients with mental illness.
• For non-government premises, the Minister must also be satisfied that the prospective controlling authority is a suitable body or person to be in charge of an approved assessment centre.
• Under the Act, an approved hospital is taken to be an approved assessment centre unless the instrument of approval provides otherwise.
• Under section 4 of the Mental Health (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2013, a place that was an assessment centre under the Mental Health Act 1996 is an approved assessment centre under the Mental Health Act 2013.

Approved hospitals

• An approved hospital is a premises approved by the Minister under section 140 of the Act.
• The Minister may only approve a premises as a hospital if satisfied that it is properly built, equipped and staffed to treat involuntary patients with mental illness.
• For non-government premises, the Minister must also be satisfied that the prospective controlling authority is a suitable body or person to be in charge of an approved hospital.
• Under the Act, an approved hospital is taken to be an approved assessment centre unless the instrument of approval provides otherwise.
• Under section 4 of the Mental Health (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2013, a place that was an approved hospital under the Mental Health Act 1996 is an approved hospital under the Mental Health Act 2013.

View the approved hospitals under the Mental Health Act 1996.

Secure mental health units

• A secure mental health unit is a premises approved by the Minister under section 140 of the Act.
• The Minister may only approve a premises as a secure mental health unit if satisfied that it is properly built, equipped and staffed to assess or treat forensic patients.
• For non-government premises, the Minister must also be satisfied that the prospective controlling authority is a suitable body or person to be in charge of a secure mental health unit.
• Under section 4 of the Mental Health (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2013, a place that was a secure mental health unit under the Mental Health Act 1996 is a secure mental health unit under the Mental Health Act 2013.
• Tasmania has one secure mental health unit, the Wilfred Lopes Centre.