CEO Update: More or less? The answers are clear.
More or less? The answers are clear.
Today’s Draft Report from the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health mentions the word ‘more’ over 1500 times, because clearly there is a lot more to do.
The word ‘less’ is mentioned half that amount, and even less, if you consider the words ‘regardless’, ‘less-likely’ and ‘homelessness’ in context. In short, we can’t find anywhere in the 1261 pages where the Draft Report suggests ‘to do less’ to improve our mental system.
The ‘mores’ clearly stack up, and here’s a dozen just as an example:
- more efficient and effective use of taxpayer money
- more opportunities for carers
- foster more supportive workplaces
- make suicide prevention more effective
- a more holistic approach to families and carers
- more information on e-health, tele-health
- more economical per-session rate
- support a more productive workforce
- accommodate more people with persistent, severe and complex mental illnesses in community treatment and residential care
- provide more and better alternatives to ED.
Less than 24 hours into the life of the Draft Report, our sector has made a strong start on which to build, and ensure we get more out of this report than the plethora of reports that have preceded it.
The webinar we hosted today for members, with more than 120 participants, was yet another show of unity and camaraderie from a sector that wants to see action. We are extremely grateful to Dr Stephen King, Ms Julie Abramson and the team at the Productivity Commission for their time today and for answering many questions from the sector, and we look forward to continuing to work with them during their consultation phase.
If you missed today’s webinar, or would like to watch it again, you can do so HERE by simply registering your email address if you have not already done so, and clicking on Join Here.
The Productivity Commission has clearly understood the scale and breadth of the challenge to improve the mental health system and for many months we’ve said it is a once in a generation opportunity for mental health.
The Draft Report proposes a new focus on regional and person led design and implementation. For this to occur, we need to ask ourselves what this means for the sector at large, and how can we facilitate it?
At the core of the Draft Report is the push for a new national agreement for mental health, which has also been at the heart of Charter 2020: Time To Fix Mental Health, now co-signed by more than 110 mental health and suicide prevention organisations nationally.
In Charter 2020 we called for a national agreement that delivers integration and coordination of mental health services, including agreed objectives, indicators, monitoring arrangements and funding between all levels of government.
Today, we sat down to further map key recommendations alongside the nine principles in Charter 2020, all with a view to help further inform our members, stakeholders and the sector at large.
Our Quick Scan Summary document of the Draft Report can be found HERE and is also attached, and next week we’ll provide you with a more detailed analysis.
Clearly today, and the coming days and weeks, are a time to do more not less to improve our mental health system and the mental health of our nation.
Kind regards,
Melanie Cantwell
Acting CEO
Join the team: Chief Executive Officer of Mental Health Australia
Mental Health Australia has begun recruiting for our new Chief Executive Officer. Reporting to the Board, the Chief Executive Officer provides strategic leadership to promote and meet Mental Health Australia’s aims and objectives and to represent the interests of our members. It is a highly influential role which works closely with stakeholders to advocate for and grow the long-term investment in mental health funding. Engaging with members, consumers and carers and other stakeholders, you will lead the work to advocate for a better mental health system, through improved systems design and interface.
Mental Health - Productivity Commission Draft Report
The Productivity Commission estimates that mental ill-health and suicide are costing Australia up to $180 billion per year and treatment and services are not meeting community expectations. "Mental ill-health has huge impacts on people, communities and our economy but mental health is treated as an add-on to the physical health system. This has to change," Productivity Commission Chair, Michael Brennan said.
Mental Health Australia welcomes Productivity Commission Report and push for a national agreement
National peak body for mental health, Mental Health Australia has today welcomed the Draft Report released by the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health, saying it’s a report we can all act on, and must act on. Mental Health Australia Acting CEO Melanie Cantwell said if we build on this Draft Report it has the potential to be a defining moment for systemic mental health and suicide prevention reform. “The Commission has clearly understood the scale and breadth of the challenge to improve the mental health system and said substantial reform of Australia’s mental health system is needed,” said Ms Cantwell.
Productivity Commission hearings
The Productivity Commission will seek further information and feedback following the release of the draft report on 31 October 2019. The Productivity Commission is advising they will hold public hearings on the following:
- 15 November - Canberra
- 18-19 November - Melbourne
- 20 November - Geraldton
- 21 November - Perth
- 25-26 November - Sydney
- 28 November - Broken Hill
- 2 December - Rockhampton
- 3 December - Brisbane
- 9 December - Launceston
Adelaide and Darwin public hearings will be held at dates to be advised in early 2020. Please note registrations to attend or participate in the hearings is not open yet.
Joint Submission to the Review of the NDIS Act and the New NDIS Participant Service Guarantee
This week Mental Health Australia, Community Mental Health Australia and the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia provided a joint submission to the Review of the NDIS Act and the new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee. The submission welcomed the Government’s intention to review the NDIS legislation and develop a NDIS Participant Service Guarantee. It proposed changes to the legislation, rules and practices of the NDIS and NDIA in order to enable the NDIA to realise the new guarantee for people with psychosocial disability, clarify the original policy intent of the NDIS and align it more closely with recovery oriented practice.
To read the full submission, please click here.
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