Weekly CEO Update from Mental Health Australia: Our Advice to Governments – we must continue to prioritise mental health reform
13 August 2021
In recent days we have written to the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and will be writing joint letters with state peaks to state and territory First Ministers outlining our Advice to Governments in relation to the impending National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
Working with our members, people with lived experience of mental illness and their families, and key stakeholders we consulted extensively and have produced a document that, whilst not commissioned or requested, we expect to inform the development of the National Agreement. The Agreement is set to be finalised by November this year.
Our Advice to Governments (which is attached) highlights six key points for all governments - Commonwealth, state and territory - to consider. These are:
- The foundational principle that there must be involvement of people with a lived experience of mental ill health in the development, implementation, oversight and evaluation of the agreement.
- The need for clear accountability, coordination of activity and transparency of action, and the need for First Ministers to take responsibility for the outcomes of the agreement.
- There must be a commitment to long term funding enhancements based on an objective reference point, and that investment should be incrementally added to the system against a set of transparent priorities and with transparent governance and oversight.
- Governance and implementation mechanisms must include representation from the sector drawing on its expertise and recognise the foundational principle of the involvement of individuals with a lived experience of mental ill health.
- Endeavour must focus on activity beyond the health system and include responses that address the social determinants and root causes of mental ill health and suicide including poverty, trauma and incarceration.
- The evaluation and measurement of outcomes built into the agreement must include whole-of-government measures that deal with long term improved mental health and wellbeing for the whole community.
During this difficult time there is no doubt our health system, health departments, health officials and health ministers, are under immense pressure as a result of the pandemic.
Pressure has compounded over many months as broader health and social issues have ensued. It appears this pressure will continue for some months to come, as we all battle this pandemic and find our way forward.
But this pressure cannot get in the way of mental health reform being a priority at this time. We must capitalise on the work that has gone before us over the last three years to get us to this point and we must continue to prioritise mental health reform, which starts with a National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
In the Prime Minister’s own words "[the agreement] will clarify that grey… between the states and federal government in the most important areas of where mental health services have been found to be ambiguous or missing."
Thank you to everyone who has provided input and feedback. I am confident that this Advice to Governments really does reflect the concerns and priorities of the mental health ecosystem.
We hope it is heeded.
Have a good weekend.
Leanne Beagley
CEO
Brief Reflection
I was delighted in the past week to have been part of an online panel hosted by Deloitte. Along with a couple of experts, I spoke to more than 100 participants about the challenges ahead in workforce development in a mental health sector in the context of massive reform. On reflection I wanted to underline a couple of key points I made at the time:
- We must start with what people with lived experience tell us they want and need in the system that provides them with support and treatment. How else will we know?
- We must be smart about building on existing practices and processes that people with lived experience, and the data, tell us are helpful rather than assume that everything needs to be re-invented from scratch.
- We must recognise that a range of service systems provide critically important support to people with mental ill health and those who love and care for them and that in that sense we must factor in what those services need to strengthen their approaches and systems such as health providers across the continuum from primary to tertiary care, early childhood providers, school support systems, social and family support services, youth and drug treatment services, housing support services, community corrections and justice services, ambulance and police and aged care providers.
Mental Health Australia Vacancy - Manager, Lived Experience Programs
The Manager Lived Experience Programs is responsible for:
- facilitating the business of the National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum (NMHCCF), which includes providing secretariat, policy and project support.
- managing the relationship between Mental Health Australia and the NMHCCF, through a trustworthy and trauma-informed approach.
- strengthening policy and advocacy positions and capacity for mental health consumers and carers working with Mental Health Australia.
To be considered for this role you will have formal qualifications in a relevant discipline (eg. health, social science, community services) and / or substantial related experience. You will have a strong commitment to working in partnership with consumers and carers to achieve mental health reform and knowledge of working within a trauma-informed approach, promoting safety, trust, choice, collaboration and empowerment.
Applications Close: 20 Aug 2021
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Videos to support Greater Sydney COVID-19 outbreak The Department of Health has created videos featuring multicultural health professionals and community leaders from Sydney sharing messaging about the importance of staying home, get tested, get vaccinated - specifically for the Greater Sydney region. The videos are available in 20 languages and are available on the Department’s website. Further videos featuring health professionals and religious and community leaders speaking in-language with the same messaging are also available.
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