Page 230 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 December 2016
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Mental health issues are a serious concern in this country. The impacts on Canberrans are no different. The statistics are deeply disturbing. Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under the age of 54, significantly exceeding the national road toll. It is estimated that almost half of Australians will experience a common mental disorder in their lifetime, and almost one in seven young people aged four to 17 were assessed as having mental health disorders in the previous 12 months.
This is something that all jurisdictions are struggling with. The ACT, small as we are, is not immune. Locally and nationally, governments are calling for better coordination of services, for an end to the avoidable silos and gaps and, above all, for innovation in policy design and service delivery. We need to better harness the data that guides truly evidence-based responses to what is driving these tragic statistics and we need to be relentless in challenging the stigma associated with mental health.
It is a high priority for me and for this government to work to prevent and reduce rates of mental illness, suicide and self-harm across the territory. In recognition of this, the ACT government has, for the first time, created a unique stand-alone portfolio position. I am privileged to be the ACT government’s first Minister for Mental Health. I now have the responsibility of delivering on the parliamentary agreement items that Labor and the Greens have prioritised to progress improvements in mental health, including the establishment of an ACT office of mental health.
I want to see the office of mental health empowered to provide independent reports and advice to the community and government on what is working and what is not working in the delivery of mental health services and to have a hands-on role in commissioning, partnering and monitoring the delivery of programs.
The office of mental health will also have a role in coordinating the range of existing support services provided by both government and the community sector that are available to Canberrans to ensure that nobody falls through the gaps. We need to ensure a continuum of support for patients through the full range of these services, including residential, outpatient and supported accommodation options.
This new office will be based on the best practice examples of the West Australian and New South Wales mental health commissions, shaped to the ACT needs and will be people-focused at its heart. We can and must do better. That is why I will also develop whole-of-government targets to reduce suicide and work with the experts, advocates, families and funded services to reduce the impacts of mental health issues.
I am looking forward to these challenges for the next term of the Assembly. With these goals, I believe that I can work with government and with our community to progress improvements in setting and achieving our climate change goals, improving road safety and reducing road deaths, reducing recidivism, improving community safety, establishing an office of mental health, and reducing suicide and self-harm in our community.
I present the following paper:
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