00:00Esperance is known for the good life, but for many locals, life has been taking a toll.
00:09It does stress, not sleeping.
00:12I'm tired. I'm tired a lot of the time.
00:15Esperance Care Services supports people doing it tough, but it's struggling with the town's mental health needs.
00:22It's probably as hard a time as I've had in 20 years.
00:26There's a range of counselling services in Esperance, but when it comes to urgent cases, people say they have nowhere to turn.
00:34Our daughter had her very first psychotic episode when she was 17.
00:39She's now nearly 56 and she lives with us.
00:45Her daughter sees a GP and a psychiatrist twice a year for medication, but she says she can't access regular mental health support.
00:54If we call community mental health, we get all sorts of excuses why they can't help us, but we get zero support.
01:02The only other option in emergencies is to call the police or the hospital.
01:06We took someone in there who was very unwell and within 15 minutes she was back out walking down the middle of the road.
01:14The WA Country Health Service says it has 24-7 access to mental health professionals via telehealth.
01:21The WA Government has indicated more funding for regional mental health support will be made available in the upcoming state budget.
01:29We obviously need to continue to make sure that we grow our mental health services right throughout regional Western Australia.
01:36Experts say communities should aim to tackle triggers of poor mental health.
01:40For smaller towns, it's also unreasonable to think that you're going to be able to import in just lots of new services.
01:47But there are broader things that remote communities can do.
01:50Esperants Care Services puts on a weekly meal for those in need.
01:55There's also a strong message for health system decision makers.
01:59Come down and spend some time with us and just see what the situation is.
02:04A plea to better support some of the country's most vulnerable people.
02:08You're welcome.
02:22You're welcome.
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