Mary Guthrie House (aka Brain Disorders Unit or "BDU") is a 30 bed facility which provides neurobehavioural rehabilitation primarily for public patients between the ages of 16 and 65 with the dual disability of brain impairment and psychiatric disturbance. It is managed by the Mental Health Clinical Service Unit of the Austin Health Network and is located at the Royal Talbot Campus .

The unit comprises of a mixture of 10 gazetted mental health beds (Heath) and 20 secure nursing home beds (Wattle/Protea). Both units share the common goal of managing patients with dual disability (brain impairment + psychiatric disturbance), but have certain key differences in their client selection, statutory and accreditative obligations, and in some aspects of management.

This is a secure unit for patients between the ages of 16 and 65, comprising of 10 gazetted psychiatric beds, and operates under the provisions of the Victorian Mental Health Act (1986) -- which means that all patients are involuntary under that Act. It is regarded as a "medium stream" rehabilitation unit, in that most patients stay between 3 and 12 months.

This is a 20 bed secure unit which provides "slow stream" rehabilitation to patients between the age of 16 and 65, and operates under the provisions of the Commonwealth Aged Care Act (1997). All patients must therefore be assessed by an Aged Care Assessment Team prior to admission, and meet criteria for placement in a Nursing Home or Hostel. Patients in this unit are generally voluntary under the Mental Health Act and the average length of admission hovers at around 18 months.

Mary Guthrie House is staffed by a team of nursing, medical and allied health professionals, including a psychiatrist, specialist GP, psychiatric registrar, psychiatric and general nurses, an occupational therapist, clinical psychologist and social worker. The non-medical (allied health) professionals provide a service to non-compensable inpatients only, though often with additional (purchased) support from external providers when required.

 

For compensable patients (eg TAC or WorkCover),  allied health is purchased separately according to need.

Information about the admission process can be provided on request by CBDATS .