Premier Roger Cook says government will examine care given to Dongara teenage suicide victim Bailey Cooper

Premier Roger Cook has promised the State Government will look into the care provided to a Mid West teenage girl who took her own life following her struggle with bullying and the child and adolescent mental health system. Seventeen-year-old Bailey Cooper from Dongara died on April 14, in the park opposite her family home where her mother and two-year-old sister were sleeping. Bailey’s mum, Keira Skeet, said the family had trouble securing adequate mental health care for her daughter and had been waitlisted since January, seeking an appointment with a psychiatrist. “No parent should have to bury their child...we are looking to what answers we can provide that family in terms of the care that they receive,” the Premier said from Geraldton on Tuesday morning. “My understanding is that she did receive the appropriate level of care for mental health and healthcare services. “But obviously we’ll dig deep to look at what was provided how it was provided, and to try to provide answers for that family”. “There is currently no waitlist for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the Mid West,” a spokesperson for the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) said. According to her mother, unabated bullying drove Bailey to attempt to take her life at school in December, prompting a visit to Geraldton Regional Hospital. Ms Skeet said her daughter was seen by a mental health clinician and “discharged pretty much the next day”. WACHS said: “We want to be clear that we would not release someone from our care who was assessed as being at immediate risk to themselves.” Since Bailey’s death, WACHS have conducted a review of her presentation and confirmed there was no evidence to suggest shortcomings in the care provided by staff. LIFELINE: 13 11 14