The Mental Health Community Coalition ACT (MHCC ACT) welcomes increased funding for suicide prevention and mental health services in the 2022–23 ACT Budget.
However, they believe the funding commitments provide only patches to the current system without addressing growing service gaps and the dire need for systemic change in the mental health sector.
“As the ACT continues to respond to and recover from COVID-19, now more than ever, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our community must be a priority,” acting COE Corinne Dobson said.
“This year’s Budget provides some welcome announcements, especially in community-based suicide prevention, and the expansion of perinatal mental health initiatives and services for children and young people. This funding will help efforts to reduce distress and vulnerability to suicide at a time when children and young people face heightened challenges to mental health and wellbeing.
“However, the scale of investment falls well below what is needed to plug the gaps in community mental health services, let alone lay the foundations for much-needed system reform and future growth in demand.”
The ACT Government has committed to reducing reliance on crisis-driven acute mental health care, and acknowledged that this needs strong community mental health programs.
However, the MHCC ACT believes the piecemeal investments in the Budget will not achieve that.
The Budget provides $70 million for mental health and community health care support, given 8 per cent of Canberrans experienced high levels of psychological distress late last year. The measures include mental health and wellbeing for children, youths, and young adults; more alcohol and drug treatment; making abortions more affordable; and suicide prevention programs.
“Continuing to make one-off investments in an already fragmented system is unlikely to result in a comprehensive system of integrated care that Canberrans living with mental health conditions need,” Ms Dobson said.
“Without adequate community support programs and services, there will be a growing demand on our hospitals, as people do not have access to vital support to prevent them from requiring acute and crisis care options.
“The Budget also fails to recognise the urgent need for significant systemic change to address identified gaps in psychosocial support services and early intervention, or the workforce shortages in the mental health sector,” Ms Dobson said.
“This is a missed opportunity to invest in the holistic, community-managed services that would keep the pressure off hospitals long-term by providing the proverbial fence at the top of the cliff.”
