Page 5050 - Week 13 - Thursday, 29 November 2018
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service delivery as a key priority area. As part of our commitment to the fifth plan, ACT Health is currently developing an ACT regional mental health and suicide prevention plan, in partnership with the Capital Health Network. On 28 August 2018 I attended a consultation forum hosted by the Capital Health Network, which included a diverse range of stakeholders from across the ACT mental health sector, consumers and carers.
A first draft of the ACT plan is expected to be developed by the end of 2018. The regional plan is a great opportunity to shape a mental health service system that is simpler to navigate, and we are making great progress on this. In fact, the National Mental Health Commission’s fifth plan 2018 progress report notes that the ACT is ahead of schedule in relation to this activity. In addition to this, the office, with its focus on increasing integration and linkage between primary, secondary and tertiary mental health services, represents one of the ACT government’s key actions for simplifying navigation under the fifth plan.
Furthermore, the ACT government has already committed additional funding in this year’s budget to increasing the linkages across the system through the provision of more supported mental health accommodation and the establishment of a new step up, step down facility on the south side of Canberra. These facilities will help to provide additional options in the stepped care continuum to ensure smoother journeys for people transitioning between hospital care and the community. Delivering wraparound services is an important part of the ACT government’s commitment to mental health, from early intervention to acute care, providing care for people at the right place and at the right time. Canberra Health Services provides a range of mental health services, largely in the acute and clinical space. While there is no doubt that these are critical services, the reality is that acute services cannot respond to everyone’s needs and are not the most appropriate place for many people to receive mental health care.
To complement the acute services, the ACT government has a strong history of partnering with community sector organisations to deliver community-based mental health services and supports. These have included programs focused on early intervention and providing alternatives to hospital admissions. According to the AIHW’s Mental health services in Australia 2018 report, 20 per cent of the ACT’s total mental health budget is provided to community sector organisations, compared to the national average of 7.6 per cent. Additionally, the ACT government is investing in the LifeSpan integrated suicide prevention framework trial, which I launched on 5 November 2018.
The framework, developed by the Black Dog Institute, will receive $1.5 million in funding over the next three years. The framework includes the simultaneous implementation of nine evidence-based strategies across the ACT, with the aim of reducing suicidal behaviours. These strategies include promoting help-seeking, equipping primary care to support people in distress, and improving emergency and follow-up care.
On the issue of staff training and resourcing, I want to reiterate my gratitude to all the healthcare professionals across our ACT mental health services who remain extremely
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