Martin Carl Quiterio, a 59-year-old man with longstanding schizophrenia and suspected autism spectrum disorder, died on 3 January 2024 when he jumped from the 14th floor of a car park in West Perth. He had been discharged five days earlier on a Community Treatment Order following a 45-day hospital admission. On the morning of his death, after receiving a phone call about an upcoming CTO review, he visited the car park and contemplated suicide. His support coordinator and mental health case manager visited later that morning, conducted appropriate risk assessments, and found him future-focused with adequate safety planning. Hours later, he returned to the car park and jumped. The coroner found all risk assessments were adequate and care was appropriate. However, significant systemic gaps were identified: lack of public health autism diagnostic services and failure to communicate his discharge to family. Two recommendations address establishing a neuropsychiatric consultation service and carer support workers in mental health units.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Expression of suicidal ideation on morning of death
Suicidal planning and contemplation
Access to means
Distress following phone call about CTO review
Poor compliance with oral antipsychotic medication
Death of father in 2021 with lasting impact
Lack of public health services for autism spectrum disorder assessment
Coroner's recommendations
The Department of Health take all reasonable steps to expedite the feasibility study for, and (if considered feasible) the introduction of, a State-wide Neuropsychiatric Consultation Liaison Service, to provide consultation and support to clinicians concerning conditions including autism spectrum disorder, as well as training and resources in relation to the same (including by obtaining additional funding to the extent it is required).
The Department of Health engage with all Health Service Providers (HSPs) with in-patient mental health units, regarding those HSPs employing carer support workers within those units, with the role of providing support to families and carers of patients.
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