WA Health says it is investigating whether any public patients have been referred to The Esther Foundation, a Christian-based rehab facility at the centre of complaints about psychological abuse and treatment that involved "exorcising demons".
Numerous women last week raised allegations about the facility, including not being allowed to speak for two months, and receiving counselling from unqualified workers.
In a written response to questions from the ABC, the health department described the women's stories as being "very troubling".
"Given the nature of the allegations, the department is continuing to investigate if any funding has been provided [from WA Health], and working with its health service providers to determine if any public patients have been referred at any stage to the Esther Foundation — outside of public pathways," the statement said.
It said WA public hospitals had their own public referral avenues for patients requiring mental health support.
Investigation will 'take some time'
Finding out if any patients were referred to the foundation would "take some time", the department said.
The foundation last week apologised to former residents for any "hurt" or "abuse" they might have experienced while living there.
It said it would cooperate with any criminal investigation after allegations from numerous women about their experiences at the live-in facility.
The centre claims to provide counselling for matters including addictions, sexual abuse and mental health issues.
Simone McGurk, the WA minister for Child Protection, Women's Interests and Community Services, said last week she had asked the Department of Communities to investigate.
She said there was legislation before State Parliament that would implement a national code of conduct for unregistered healthcare workers.
"This is basically to deal with a whole lot of different allied health workers who are not otherwise picked up in any sort of professional code of conduct or regulation," Ms McGurk said.
"So it wouldn't restrict entry into practice, but it would allow effective action to be taken against a health worker who fails to comply with standards as provided in the national code."
She said it would deal with people such as psychotherapist counsellors and healers.
