Page 134 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 9 February 2022
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The ACT government worked with community sector and business partners to deliver food to people’s homes when they were in financial difficulty during lockdown. We delivered new mental health services such as Safe Haven and an eating disorders clinician within CHS to meet increased needs for mental health support. We provided additional resources to Canberra’s community sector so that they could provide updated COVID information to people who may not read news websites or social media and to deliver a safe place to stay and essential goods to people in need.
As the responsible minister, with the Community Services Directorate as the lead agency, I commit to leading a process where we develop a shared understanding of what good social recovery looks like and developing consensus on what is required when and where. I mentioned two of our recent mental health initiatives: Safe Haven and the eating disorders clinician. While we increased our investment in the mental health and wellbeing of Canberrans by more than nine per cent in the most recent budget, we have plans to deliver much more throughout 2022.
We also know that maintaining good mental wellbeing requires having appropriate, accessible, affordable long-term housing. For people with ongoing mental health needs, finding a home can be a major challenge. This is why the ACT government is investigating models of care for supported accommodation for people with mental health conditions, including our ongoing discussions with MyHome in Curtin and ongoing negotiation with the commonwealth for people who need housing covered in their NDIS plan.
Building on the recent passage of legislation in the Carers (Recognition) Act, we will deliver the final report on the ACT carers strategy first action plan and work with the community to develop the second action plan. One of the things I am most looking forward to over the next six months is the co-design of ACT’s disability strategy, led by people with disability, including members of the ACT Disability Reference Group.
While people with disability and their carers continue to experience greater levels of social isolation and stress as a result of the ongoing pandemic, working on the ACT’s disability strategy builds hope and resilience and puts radical love into action. We will take a strengths-based approach to making Canberra even more accessible, inclusive and proud of our diversity.
I also look forward to working with Minister Rattenbury and Minister Stephen-Smith on raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility. The success of this important change, which has the transformational capacity to end intergenerational cycles of trauma and lives spent in the justice system, relies on putting in place the right services for children and their families so that harmful behaviours do not occur. For example, this means continuing work on supports for complex cases that involve mental health, alcohol and other drugs, trauma, and disability in young people.
I also look forward to seeing the outcomes of the pilot of the functional family therapy youth justice program, providing support to young people and their families to improve relationships and change harmful behaviours. This work will help more young people reach their potential, be healthier, have better family and social
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