The NT Community Visitor Program

The NT Community Visitor Program is an independent service located in the Anti-Discrimination Commission.

Its aim to ensure the rights of those being treated for mental illness or disability are upheld and their views and concerns are heard.

Community visitors are people employed by the CVP who regularly visit Mental Health Inpatient facilities and Disability Secure Care facilities to ensure an appropriate standard of care.

Who can contact a Community Visitor?

Anyone who is receiving treatment from mental health services or disability secure care, or anyone with a genuine interest in a person receiving treatment or their primary contact person, guardian or decision-maker.

Our Services

Complaints

In general, the CVP aims to resolve complaints and enquiries swiftly by working with the person making the complaint and with staff from mental health and disability.

A complaint can be made by phone, in person or in writing or by completing the online form.

Make a complaint online

Advocacy

Sometimes, a person who is receiving treatment believes that issues of significance to him or her are not receiving adequate attention from staff.

Worrying about personal issues may have a considerable impact on the quality of your inpatient stay or experience of treatment.  The CVP sees its advocacy role as extremely important and works to ensure that the views and wishes of the person being treated are heard.

About our advocacy services

Monitoring

Community visitors panels are largely responsible for the monitoring of psychiatric inpatient services in the Territory.

Section 111 of the Mental Health and Related Services Act provides that a community visitors panel must visit the inpatient unit for which it is established at least once every six months.

The panels have been conducting regular visits since 2004, and are now focussing on a particular theme during each visit.

About our monitoring services

Inspection

The Principal Community Visitor is required to ensure that seclusion registers held at each inpatient unit are inspected at least once every six months.

The legal member of community visitors panels may, during a panel visit to an inpatient facility, also inspect the seclusion register held at the facility.

About our inspection services