Sixty new specialist staff approved for disability reform project

Disability Services Minister Warren Pitt has approved almost 60 new specialist staff positions that will help implement the Queensland Government’s multi-million-dollar response to the Carter Report into services for people with an intellectual disability who display challenging behaviour.

Mr Pitt told a parliamentary Estimates Committee hearing today that 59 new positions would be allocated to the innovative Specialist Response Service teams that were foreshadowed in the government’s response to the report, Challenging Behaviour and Disability – A Targeted Response.

He said the new positions were among the 188 new frontline staff to be recruited as part of the four-year, $113 million Investing in positive futures initiative.

“I am committed to addressing the recommendations made by Mr Carter and have approved expenditure to recruit up to 59 additional professional and specialist staff,” Mr Pitt said.

“These additional professionals will provide specialist support to adults with an intellectual or cognitive disability who exhibit severely challenging behaviour and who receive services provided by Disability Services Queensland or the non-government sector.

“They will be allocated to six cross-regional Specialist Response Service teams, which will be based in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Rockhampton and Townsville.”

Mr Pitt said recruitment would begin in the second half of 2007–08 and would be part of a national and international specialist skills recruitment strategy.

“The Specialist Response Service teams will be supported by five Individual Response Leaders, who will coordinate the responses of the teams,” he said.

“The teams will also be supported by a mental health assessment outreach team, to provide access to specialist services.

“The mental health team will build from six members in 2007–08 to a full capacity of 12 people by 2009–10,” he said.

Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3235 4280