WA’s chief mental health advocate Debora Colvin reflects on 12 years’ service

Every day in Western Australia, about a dozen people might wake up in a locked mental health ward.

A place that feels much like a jail.

They may have been taken to a hospital emergency department with a serious mental health issue. They may have tried to self-harm, or had a violent episode.

After coming out of sedation, they find themselves in an unfamiliar room.

They have their phones taken away from them and may not even be allowed a visitor.

There are strict rules in WA about who can be…