Mother Blames System for Daughter's Suicide

0:00In Adelaide today, February 27th, an 18-year-old girl named Haley Hildebrand died by suicide just hours after leaving a mental health ward at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perthon, January 13th. Her mother, Stacey Hildebrand, blames a series of systemic failures in Western Australia's health system and has rejected sympathy from health, Minister Meredith Hamat. Haley had struggled with mental health issues for years, moving in and out of care, including multiple stays at the hospital last year. She turned 16, entering the adult system where her mother had less say and was released voluntarily that Tuesday, without what Stacey calls. Proper safeguards, despite a recent suicide attempt in the ward. Stacey says she got no call about Haley's discharge and couldn't guarantee her safety at home, trusting the hospital instead. She describes a frustrating system with inconsistent care, clinician changes, and ignored risks, especially for chronic cases. Youth suicide is the top killer for 15-24-year-olds in the state, with 40 deaths from intentional

1:04self-harm last year alone. A 2012 review urged care plans before any discharge, but Stacey believes that wasn't followed here. Now, the South Metropolitan Health Service is doing a full clinical review. The corner is investigating, and officials promise to act on findings. While boosting mental health beds and community support, Stacey wants better training, communication and scrutiny for high-risk patients. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor. See the episode description, headphones, and a pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense.