Renewed Statement on Addressing Unmet Need for Psychosocial Support Outside the NDIS

In October 2025 Mental Health Australia has released a Renewed Statement on Addressing Unmet Need for Psychosocial Support Outside the NDIS. The Statement offers a clear pathway of action for governments to address the urgent unmet need for psychosocial supports. Mental Health Australia developed this renewed Statement in consultation with our members, building on our original Statement released in December 2024.  

Analysis for governments shows there are around half a million people experiencing severe and moderate mental health challenges who need psychosocial support but don’t have access to it. This statement is important now because despite this clearly articulated need and calls from the sector to act, Governments are yet to make the investments necessary to grow psychosocial support to meet need.  

The Statement recommends: 

• The Australian Government allocates funding through the 2025 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook process to a temporary psychosocial uplift pool to support an initial expansion of psychosocial supports (including supports for family, carers and kin), contingent on state and territory governments matching funding in their following budget processes.   
• State and Territory Governments invest in their 2026-27 Budget processes to the temporary psychosocial uplift pool to match the investment allocated by the Australian Government.   
• As a part of development of the next National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement, Australian, State and Territory Governments agree to a detailed plan to fully address unmet need for psychosocial support by 2030.    

You can read the full statement below.