Mental Health Service Provision in the ACT-1998/99 Report.

Report on Mental Health Service Provision in the Australian Capital Territory for the period 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999 [Tabling statement].

I am pleased to table the Report on Mental Health Service Provision in the Australian Capital Territory for the Period 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999.

The Government's 1997 Moving Ahead statement on mental health committed us to the production of a report on mental health service provision in the ACT on an annual basis. This is the third report in the series.

Unfortunately, the report is later than usual this year having been overlooked because it is not a legislative requirement. However, I wish to assure the Assembly that we will continue to honour the commitment made by the previous Health Minister by ensuring that in future the report will be produced within the same timeframe as other annual reports.

As in earlier years this report provides information about major achievements in service provision to people with a mental illness in the ACT.

The last decade has seen a significant transformation in the approach to the provision of mental health services in Australia. A major thrust of the transformation has been the change in emphasis from a system focussed on services, towards a system with a firm focus on the needs of people with mental illness.

The 'Looking Forward' section of the 1998-1999 report gives a clear indication of the future directions for mental health program development.

One such direction is the establishment of an integrated mental health program that was announced in the 1999-2000 ACT Budget. The aim of this initiative is to improve collaboration and partnerships between services and to increasingly focus on community based care with a reduced emphasis on institutional care.