It was good to see discussion of mental health during the recent Federal election, with significant commitments of funding. Whilst somewhat different approaches were taken by different parties, the recognition that more investment is needed, and starting to identify the quantum, was a very positive development.
However, a missing piece to the puzzle is what Governments will do to address the psychosocial support needs for people who need responses to more significant mental health challenges. The report on unmet needs released last year painted a sobering picture of nearly 500,000 people nationally who need these types of psychosocial supports but not receiving them, with an additional 155,000 carers also requiring supports.
Discussion of reforms to the NDIS, foundational supports and a National psychosocial support program are encouraging, however, it’s taking a long time for these discussions to move to bear fruit. This week, we welcomed the Mental Health Australia’s leadership with State and Territory mental health peak organisations calling on Australian Governments to invest in addressing unmet needs for psychosocial support outside the NDIS.
The new Ministerial arrangements at the Federal level with the Hon Mark Butler MP as the senior cabinet minister with responsibility for health, disability, ageing and the NDIS, supported by an impressive ministerial team, provides a great opportunity to start to address the ever-elusive issue of integration and consistency across these very important areas of social policy and the delivery of care and support.
We join with Mental Health Australia and others in the mental health and disability sectors to urge Australian Governments, led by Minister Butler, to immediately take joint steps to address the unmet needs for psychosocial supports identified, and to provide options outside of the NDIS that help people with a psychosocial disability to pursue their recovery goals, and live contributing lives in the communities of their choice.
We need these supports for more people because of the great recovery stories of people like Kieron and Peter in this Month’s newsletter. These supports have helped them to secure stable housing, get a part-time job, re-ignite a love of writing, and to gain the driving P’s and achieve the freedom that has provided. It’s also these supports that help Mum’s with lived experience and their kids at our Women and Children’s Program. There is a great story asking for your financial support at Tax time.
I am confident that we will see some significant improvements in the availability of psychosocial supports within and outside of the NDIS. We’ll continue to raise this important issue with governments until it is a reality; and we hope you join us in doing so.
Mark Orr AM
Chief Executive
