Page 248 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 2018
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designed to provide stepped levels of care, providing access to the right care in the right place at the right time. I am committed to ensuring that we as a community have the right range of models and types of supported housing for people experiencing long-term mental illness. This year I will continue to work on improving access to supported accommodation options in the community, which will provide patients with more options for a step down from acute facilities or a step up from independent living as required.
We know that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, which is why early intervention and access to mental health support services for children and young people are vital. While last year’s budget included more than $3 million in youth focused mental health initiatives, this area is a continued priority for me and for the government, and we know there is more work to be done.
Already this year I have announced the expansion of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service consultation and liaison service at the Canberra Hospital, which will now provide specialist mental health assessments to young people seven days a week. The government has also provided an additional $100,000 in funding to Menslink to expand their free counselling support service to 10 to 12-year-old boys, to help meet increasing demand for this age group. This year we will continue to work with young people and their families and carers, as well as schools, community organisations and health professionals, on this issue. I want to make sure that services are accessible at the earliest possible opportunity in order to make a significant difference to the overall mental health and wellbeing of young people in our community.
Let me turn to my justice portfolio. In 2018 the restorative justice scheme will expand its operation, making family violence and sexual offences available for referral to restorative justice. This year will also see the appointment of a new Victims of Crime Commissioner, who, as a member of the Victims Advisory Board, will continue to advise government on the development of a victims charter of rights. The charter will provide clear opportunities for victims of crime to be informed and have a voice in the justice process, which will lead to improved outcomes for the community and justice system more broadly, including increased confidence in reporting crimes, reduced re-traumatisation, and a more efficient and transparent justice process.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice partnership 2015-18 is in its final year, and consultation on the next strategy will formally commence next month in a joint community consultation with the elected body and the office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs. I look forward to working with other ministers on its development, as closing the gap in justice requires clearly aligned plans, with targets that stretch all areas of government towards innovation and reform.
The justice reinvestment strategy supports the ninth parliamentary agreement commitment to reducing recidivism by 25 per cent by 2025. As a plan for reducing recidivism is developed it will draw on the ACT evidence base developed as part of the justice reinvestment strategy. This work will continue in 2018 and will build upon the justice reinvestment trials already underway. It is a high priority for me, and for this government, that we make some key changes to the justice system and run a broad range of programs that prevent people from entering or re-entering the justice
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