The ACT Government has released a strategic plan outlining how it will fund and support non-government mental health services over the coming years, aiming to give providers and clients greater certainty.
The Mental Health Strategic Investment Plan sets out priorities for future investment, focusing on long-term funding arrangements, mapping service needs, and directing resources to areas of greatest demand.
This plan is intended to provide certainty to community, NGOs, and those accessing the mental health system that the sector is supported through long-term planning and investment.
Mental health minister Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA said the plan was developed through extensive engagement with community organisations and aims to provide stability for the sector.
“Non-government mental health services and programs deliver essential supports for our community,” Ms Stephen-Smith said. “The Mental Health Strategic Investment Plan recognises that these organisations want to be able to provide secure employment and undertake forward planning, which is why the ACT Government is committing to funding agreements up to a period of five years, with opportunities for extension.”
The plan proposes $1.1 million each year for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, in line with Closing the Gap commitments. It also identifies child and youth mental health as a key focus area, building on the $9.6 million allocated in the 2025-26 ACT Budget to maintain a range of NGO-run programs.
A new Sector Development Fund will support innovation and build capacity across the NGO sector, with the broader aim of strengthening collaboration between government and community providers.
Mental Health Community Coalition ACT CEO Lisa Kelly welcomed the release, saying long-term funding was vital for a stable workforce and accessible services.
“The NGO mental health sector provides support to thousands of Canberran’s every year through a range of services across the lifespan,” Ms Kelly said. “As central to ensuring the wellbeing of the community, it is pleasing to see an investment by Government that will ensure services remain accessible and the workforce has stability.
“We know that the NGO sector provides outstanding care for people with mental health concerns and this only improves when the sector has stability and certainty. We look forward to working with Government to ensure organisations have the resources needed now, and into the future, to continue to provide access to vital community-based services.”
The Canberra Liberals criticised the announcement, arguing that after decades in office Labor still lacks a clear, costed mental health investment strategy.
Shadow mental health minister Leanne Castley MLA pointed to the government’s 2022 survey showing that 28.1 per cent of adult Canberrans had been told by a doctor they had a mental-health condition in the previous year.
“Nearly three years on, the Government has announced yet another ‘plan for a plan’, one that offers little clarity on funding priorities or how rising demand will be met,” Ms Castley said. “After years of reviews and consultations, Canberrans deserve more than another framework; they deserve a genuine, long-term investment strategy. Under Labor, you pay more and get less.”
For more information on the Strategic Investment Plan, as well as information on mental health support and care in the ACT, go to the ACT Government website.
