Page 4364 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 13 October 2009
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of mental illness and associated issues. The theme for this year was “informed and connected”. This theme signifies the need for individuals to be aware of and educated about mental illness and the benefits of supported connections within the community.
This government supported Mental Health Week 2009 with $10,000 towards the hosting of the events on a very fat calendar. The information sessions, forums and social activities included the Festival of Belonging, as I just said, which emphasised the important theme. Other events were a community barbecue, a prayer service and the Mindscapes arts and music festival. There was also the launch of two story books for the children of parents with a mental illness, and there was a special seminar on critical incidents stress management. This is to name but a few of the activities. In all, the week provided events not only for learning and for sharing but also to engender a sense of social inclusion, belonging and value.
The growing impact of mental health problems and disorders is well recognised and is identified as a global priority due to the great social and economic consequences associated with it. There is increasing emphasis on promoting mental health and wellbeing and preventing problems before they occur. In recognising this, this government can attest to a strong commitment to expansion and investment in mental health resources as well as promoting issues through Mental Health Week 2009, as I have said.
Further commitments include the new purpose built facility for the Canberra Hospital campus for which consultation, planning and concept design have begun. These include the mental health assessment unit, due for completion in December 2009, and the new adult mental health inpatient unit and the adolescent and young people’s mental health unit.
As members would be aware, in the last Assembly I initiated an inquiry, as deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Health and Disability, into appropriate housing for people living with mental illness. One of the recommendations in that report called for the establishment of a step up, step down facility, and I am pleased that the government acted on this recommendation and set aside funding that would go towards establishing such facilities for young people and for adults. The government is also committed to building a secure mental health facility. Site selection is under way.
Recognising that more can be done to prevent mental illness or to reduce the impact of mental illness on people’s lives, and I believe there is always more we can do, the ACT government departments, led by ACT Health, work with community agencies to develop frameworks that promote mental health and wellbeing and to provide early intervention for people experiencing mental illness.
The launch of the two mental health frameworks during Mental Health Week 2009 demonstrated this government’s commitment to thorough planning. These frameworks are Building a strong foundation: a framework for promoting mental health and wellbeing in the ACT 2009-2014, and Managing risk of suicide, a suicide prevention strategy for the ACT 2009-2014. These were launched by the Minister for Health at one of the many events listed on the week’s calendar.
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