Page 1471 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 March 2012
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The government also provides support to a range of community-based mental health services, both through the government and the community sectors. In particular, we have provided funding, along with the commonwealth in some instances, for subacute step-up, step-down services, both residential and outreach support for adult and adolescent mental health consumers who require periods of more intensive support. Tenders for the two new step-up, step-down residential services for older people and young people aged 18 to 25 actually close tomorrow.
I support Ms Bresnan’s call that this Assembly notes that it is important to break down stigma associated with suicide in the community without sensationalising or normalising it. This debate in the Assembly itself will help achieve that objective. Over the last two years we have intentionally increased the exposure of the ACT community to information about suicide and suicide prevention through the “let’s talk” media campaign. The suicide prevention implementation working group is currently preparing the campaign for 2012. The theme of the campaign through the print, radio and TV media is that it is all right to talk about suicide and help is available.
In addition, the government acknowledges that people bereaved by suicide often have particular support needs. Over the last two years we have funded the Australian Centre for Grief and Loss to provide counsellors across Canberra with free specialist bereavement training. This training has been broadly taken up by more than 60 counsellors, including mental health clinicians, other health counsellors, counsellors from the education sector and counsellors from diverse areas of the community sector.
Mental health programs and other broader initiatives and programs of government help address some of the underlying factors influencing the suicide rate. These include family services, social inclusion programs, school counsellors, education, job training to increase financial independence, alcohol and drug programs, workplace programs to address bullying, relationship counselling and financial counselling.
Ms Bresnan’s amendment to her motion asks for the Assembly to call on the Minister for Health to consult with the Ministerial Advisory Council on Mental Health and other relevant stakeholders about what ACT suicide reduction target is appropriate for 2020 and to outline that target to the Assembly by the end of 2012. My preference would have been that we consulted on whether we should have a jurisdictional target, but I understand that I do not have the numbers on that. I would like to see this work progress, which is why I will support the amendment. The amendment seeks advice on what the target should be rather than whether there should be a target.
I would just say that in a place like the ACT I would expect that within a six or 12-month period—and I have no problem about reporting the numbers of suicides; indeed they are already publicly reported—those numbers will, depending on circumstances, move around a little. I imagine the target we would set for a place like the ACT ultimately would be quite low. However, I acknowledge the interest in the Assembly in seeing what a target should be.
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