Page 2921 - Week 10 - Thursday, 7 October 2021
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The World Health Organisation’s campaign for World Mental Health Day on 10 October is “Mental healthcare for all: let us make it a reality”, recognising that social determinants, including poverty, have a big impact on mental health.
As Minister for Mental Health, I am delighted that we have been able to invest in more mental health and community support. This includes $1 million to expand the PACER program with an additional team for six months to support the community when and where they need it; $80,000 between Gugan Gulwan and Yeddung Mura to provide additional counselling and wellbeing supports to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans; $70,000 to Mental Illness Education ACT for additional mental health programs for schools, individuals and businesses, in response to COVID-19; and a lot more.
In addition, the 2021-22 ACT budget will include another $10.3 million to provide a more timely, supportive and accessible mental health system for young people and their families in the ACT, as well as funding to expand and improve alcohol and other drug services.
The ACT government has stepped up.
It must be said, however, that the reduction in commonwealth income support for people who have lost work or need to take unpaid time off for COVID-19 testing and quarantine is taking a toll on many people in our community.
The support offered by the ACT government for businesses and community sector organisations to reduce the loss of paid work—as well as rent relief and food relief for people experiencing difficulties—helps, but I am sure we would all greatly appreciate more support from the commonwealth government for people on low incomes.
The economic impact has been made worse by the federal government’s refusal to reinstate JobKeeper or to keep JobSeeker at a liveable rate. It has direct consequences for people’s lives and our community’s ability to respond to the pandemic. Now, due to the economic stance of the federal government, all state and territory governments’ jobs have been made harder.
It is precisely the people I referred to earlier—who find themselves in difficult circumstances, who are disproportionately affected by lockdowns—who have now been told that they will no longer have access to disaster payments. The race to vaccinate populations is hard enough without having to deal with the entirely foreseeable human costs of this economic policy.
In April 2021, as Minister for Disability, I was pleased to launch the respite effect and recovery grants. The purpose of these grants was to support people with disability, and their families and carers, under the ACT COVID-19 Disability Strategy. The grants helped relieve some of the challenges of the health emergency, offering supports such as meals, respite, cleaning and technology to support social connection and education in isolation. I am pleased to say that the grants have supported many people through a very difficult time.
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