Page 3050 - Week 10 - Friday, 8 October 2021
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takes mental health seriously. That is why the ACT government will continue to invest in youth mental health services.
I would like to acknowledge the ACT government’s recent $10.3 million commitment in the 2021-22 budget aimed at addressing youth mental health. Within this commitment, there is $7.5 million going toward the MOST program. That is the Moderated Online Social Therapy program. The MOST program is the first of its kind and has proved extremely effective in offering care to young people by providing digital and online support.
This world-leading program is specifically designed to integrate with and address the key limitations of current youth mental health services. The program was designed with over 10 years of extensive consultation with young people to see how mental health services could better feel relevant to their daily lives. The MOST program has been tried and tested in Victoria as a response to their lockdowns and it has received positive reviews from young people who have been involved with the program. I for one am very glad to see the MOST program being supported and rolled out in the ACT as well. Innovative programs like this are more important than ever.
I would like to further acknowledge the ACT government’s continued support of youth and social workers in the ACT school system. Over the next four years, an additional 25 youth and social workers will be employed in local schools to provide early intervention and support for students and their families. The specialist services and support these workers provide to students and their families are crucial to their wellbeing and development. Making these services available through our schools will make it easier for vulnerable young people and their families to get help when they need it.
I also acknowledge the ACT government’s success in securing $3.6 million in funding for the community and mental health COVID-19 support package. This package includes $90,000 to fund at-home support for young people suffering moderate to severe mental illness and $70,000 to fund additional mental health programs for schools, individuals and businesses in response to COVID-19. The ACT government has also secured an additional $2.3 million from the commonwealth government to boost existing crisis, mental health and wellbeing services.
However, I always believe we can do more. That is why today I am calling on the ACT government to continue working with the commonwealth on the forthcoming national agreement on mental health and suicide prevention. Now more than ever it is important that state and territory governments, alongside the commonwealth government, work together in addressing this issue. The commonwealth has committed an historic $2.3 billion to implement a national plan, and it is so vital that we work together to seize this momentum.
I am also calling on the government to develop a position statement on the youth mental health recovery from COVID-19. I think Canberrans need to know how we are planning to respond to the youth mental health crisis. The government has announced funding for lots of different services, but it is important that the community knows why we have, how they all work together and how we will know if they are working
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